“Half the Meat” Sausages with Dried Blueberries and Beer

• Barbecue
• Dried Wild Blueberries
• Main Dish

There are so many choices when it comes to sausages, but the store-bought variety is generally loaded with salt and fat – though some sausage makers are producing healthier sausages these days. Basically, nothing beats homemade sausages – no additives, nitrites or preservatives to worry about.

Speaking of which, here’s a recipe for homemade sausages starring some great local ingredients: local beer, our whole dried wild blueberries and maple syrup. They’re really easy to make – no need for a meat grinder or natural casings. We’ve added some textured vegetable protein (TVP), a magic ingredient that adds taste and texture and helps the sausages keep their shape.

Remember: to be on the safe side, especially in hot weather, make sure to cook sausages thoroughly!

Steps

1. In a small pan, boil TVP in beer for about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Place TVP, ground meat, garlic, dried blueberries, herb mixture and maple syrup in bowl of food processor. Season generously with lots of pepper and a pinch of salt. Blend till mixture is smooth.

3. Add bread crumbs to meat mixture and blend on “pulse” setting until bread crumbs are well mixed in.

4. Divide preparation into 6 tennis-ball-sized balls and form each ball into a sausage. For easier cooking, shape each sausage around a skewer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 24 hours. (Mixture may be frozen at this point for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed container.)

5. Preheat barbecue or oven to 200°C (400 °F). Place rack in the middle of the oven.

6. Cook on the barbecue over medium heat or in the oven on a baking sheet with a rack on top for 15 to 20 minutes or till sausages are thoroughly grilled and cooked through.