Made from uncooked meat which is chopped or ground along with other spices. The meat needs to stay refrigerated prior to cooking. Some examples of fresh sausage include Italian sausage, chorizo, and breakfast links.

Have been previously cooked and either still has their casing or its been removed for ease of the customer. You will need to heat these sausages on a grill or in a pan, to allow them to taste their best. Fully cooked sausage links, hot dogs, bologna, and frankfurters are all types of pre-cooked sausages, that were not also smoked.

Are smoked and then either packaged or smoked longer to complete the cooking requirements. To eat smoked sausages—such as kielbasa andouille, and smoked pork sausage - heat them up or eat them cold (if fully cooked versions.)

is a semi-dry fermented sausage.  It is smoked or dried and is almost always cured with curing salt. Many do not need refrigeration, but check the label - some do! It was originally called summer sausage because it was cured & dried over the winter and eaten while working in the fields of the summer.

Is a type of pork sausage served in links, rope, or smoked patties, usually served at breakfast.  It originated in the days when farmers needed high protein, low-cost breakfast meat.

• Perfect to serve as a side with pancakes or waffles.
• Spice up your eggs, bacon, and hash browns with a side of sausage. 

The way sausages are made varies depending on the type of sausage. Generally, meat is cut into small cubes and put through a meat grinder. The meat is then mixed with seasoning. Then, a sausage stuffer is used to fill the meat into casings.

The newly formed sausages are tied off and the casing is poked with a fine object, such as a fork, to release the air inside the casing. The sausages are then preserved through curing, drying, smoking, or freezing. Some sausages, that are cured or smoked, can be stored without refrigeration. But, most sausages need to be frozen or refrigerated until they are cooked.

At Burgers' Smokehouse, we use our time-honored recipes to make our sausages.  All of them using the highest quality ingredients, aging time, and smoking techniques.

In a Pan on Stove Top

1. Heat a pan on the stove at medium heat. Let it sit for two minutes to get hot.
2. If the sausages are linked together by their casing, cut the casing to separate the sausages or slice sausage into patties if in a chub.
3. Place the sausages on the frying pan. Leave enough space so the sausages are not touching.
4. Flip the sausages every two minutes until they are brown on all sides. This should take from 10-15 minutes, depending on patties or links.
5. Use a meat thermometer to ensure sausage is heated or cooked to 160 degrees F. internal temperature.
6. Finish your sausages by steaming them if needed. Thick sausages can take a long time to cook. If you are worried about your sausages burning, add a half cup of water to the pan. Then, place a lid over your pan.

Baking Sausages

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. This will make cleaning up easier.
3. If the sausages are linked together by the casing, separate the sausages or slice chub into patties, if needed.
4. Place the sausages on the pan and place them into the oven. Leave an inch between each sausage so they can cook properly.
5. Bake the sausages for a total of 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, use tongs to flip them to the other side.
6. Use a meat thermometer to ensure sausage is heated or cooked to 160 degrees F. internal temperature.
7. If the sausages are not finished, cook them in five-minute increments until they are fully cooked.

Grilling Sausages

1. Light your grill. If you are using a gas grill, set the burners to medium-high. If you are using a charcoal grill, light a pile of briquettes. Let them burn until they are ashy white and glowing orange.
2. Put the sausages on the grill over indirect heat.
3. Cook the sausages with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
4. Flip the sausages and check their temperature with a meat thermometer. They should be at least 160°F on the inside.
5. If the sausages are not fully cooked, cook them for another five minutes until they are 160°F.
6. If the sausages are not brown enough on the outside, place them over direct heat. Let them cook for 1-3 minutes. Then, flip them to the other side.

Summer Sausage

• Place it on an appetizer tray with cheese and crackers
• Chop it up and put it on a salad
• Slice it over pasta
• Put it on a sandwich with your favorite veggies
• Add it to a macaroni salad

Breakfast Sausage

• Mix it in with hash-browns
• Put it in a quiche
• Mix it in scrambled eggs
• Add it to your egg and cheese breakfast sandwich

Fresh Sausage

• Add it to mac and cheese
• Top it on a pizza
• Put it in stuffed bell peppers
• Add it to your burger
• Sprinkle it in your quesadilla
• Mix it in your favorite pasta recipe
• Add it to lasagna

1.  Sausage casings used to be made of animal intestines. Today, they are made of collagen and cellulose.
2.  The first people to make sausage were the people of ancient Sumer over 5,000 years ago.
3.  The English word “sausage” is derived from the Latin word salsus which means “salted.” Salt was used before refrigeration to preserve meat.
4.  The Romans brought sausage to Britain in 400 A.D.
5.  Different climates affected how the sausage was made in different areas. Northern Europeans were able to keep their sausage fresh without refrigeration due to their cold climate. Since southern Europe was warm, the people in these areas created dry sausage that could be preserved with salt.
6.  In Asia, sausages were left out to ferment. This produced lactic acid and helped stop the growth of bacteria.
7.  In the 4^th century, the Catholic Church declared eating sausages was a sin since sausages were eaten at pagan festivals.
8.  Sausages received their British nickname “bangers” during World War II. Due to rationing, sausages were made with a high amount of water rather than more expensive ingredients. When the water turned to steam while the sausages were cooking, they would often burst open.
9.  Germany produces the greatest variety of sausages. They have over 1,000 different types of sausage.
10.  Germany has a “Sausage Academy” in Neumarkt where you can earn a certificate and become a sausage expert.
11.  Berlin has a museum dedicated to currywurst, a type of port sausage served with spicy curried ketchup.
12.  The longest sausage ever made was 36.75 miles long.
13.  The record for most sausages eaten in a minute is eight sausages.
14.  61% of sausages are eaten for dinner, 24% are eaten for breakfast, and 14% are eaten for lunch.
15.  Sausage machines fill sausages at the rate of 1 1/2 miles an hour.

Sources: lovepork.co.uk, discovermagazine.com, listverse.com