CATEGORY

Summer Sausage

2008 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER

Johnsonville

What Makes a Great Summer Sausage?

Summer sausages don’t normally require refrigeration. Dried, cured or smoked, they are great for picnics, outdoor cookouts or brown bag lunches. Try them with rice and vegetables, work them into salads and stews or dip them in mustard—they are extremely versatile. You can even serve them in a hot dog bun.

Our chefs define a high-quality summer sausage as having a pinkish color without being bright enough to indicate the presence of nitrates. It should have a medium to coarse grind that is not as coarse as salami or as soft as a hot dog, and the grind’s texture should be visible. The aroma character should be complex—not one-dimensional—with the meat, spices and smoke each having its own discernible aroma.

In the taste profile, a summer sausage should have pronounced saltiness, but not so much that it burns the palate. Sourness should be present at moderate levels that are high enough to provide noticeable tanginess, and the meat should deliver a slight natural sweetness.

The meat’s bold flavor intensity should be the leading flavor overall. It should include a combination of beef and pork, and while there could be more of one than the other, both flavors should be present. There should be a noticeable spice flavor intensity that complements the meat with elements like black pepper, garlic and mustard seed. A smoke flavor should be discernible at lower levels than the meat and spice, creating flavor balance among the three.

There should be no off notes, such as chemical, metallic, packaging or curing notes that might indicate improper handling or packaging.

Product Category Definition

The product judged was defined as summer sausage for the consumer market, not including any hot dogs, meat sticks, sausages, salami or hot links.

Other Leading Brands:

Hillshire Farm, Hickory Farms