There’s nothing like grilling up some sausages on a beautiful day — but have you ever tried to smoke this tasty summertime staple using the same cooking vessel? While it can take some time to figure out, using your grill to smoke sausages is an easy way to evoke this intense flavor, while enjoying the convenience of your barbecue. We spoke to Daniel Henderson, head of product development (U.S. and Canada) for Wild Fork Foods, which offers over 35 sausage choices. This expert gave us the inside scoop on transforming your grill into a smoker for all your favorite banger varieties.
“You can cook sausages on both a wood-burning and a gas grill — the technique varies a bit to get the optimal flavor,” Henderson told Food Republic. “Specifically, on a gas grill, you can use a smoke box, a pie pan, or a stainless-steel pan holding aluminum foil wrapped around the chips with a few holes for smoke release.” Keep in mind that when you’re cooking different types of protein, like turkey-based sausages, there may be some additional work involved. The expert recommended lowering the temperature and cook time when smoking leaner sausage — you can also moving them away from direct heat and even add a water pan to ensure they don’t become dry.
Preparing your wood chips is also important when you attempt this cooking method (even if you’re smoking meat on a stovetop). “When smoking sausages in general, always soak the chips for [up to] an hour to avoid quick burning and harsh smoke flavor/over smoking,” Henderson said. “If you find the smoke is becoming too dense, you can adjust the air flow.”
More tips for perfectly smoked sausages
One important factor when you are smoking sausages is that the type of wood you’re using. Wood chips vary drastically by type, and can affect the outcome of your smoking process — most notably, altering the taste of your food. “Different woods have qualities [and] properties that will enhance the flavor of your sausage,” Daniel Henderson said. “My favorites are fruitwoods such as apple & cherry that add fruity, sweet notes and are best with leaner cuts of poultry or pork; and Hickory and Mesquite woods, which have stronger, earthier, spicier qualities for beef and game.” When it comes to smoking meat, it’s all about the delicate give and take. “The key is balancing the amount of wood and time/amount of smoking with the flavor of the sausage,” Henderson added. Wild Fork Foods offers a wide variety of specialty sausages — like Bison Jalapeño and Cheddar Cheese, Rabbit & Pork with White Wine Sausage, and Bison Hickory Smoked Wild Boar & Cranberry – all of which benefit from this meticulous method, as it brings a complex note of smokiness to the unique flavor profiles.
According to the expert, common mistakes when smoking sausages on a grill include: not soaking your chips correctly, having an incorrect wood-to-protein ratio, and over-smoking your meat. “You can avoid some of these mistakes by choosing the right wood at the onset, soaking the chips for at least 40 minutes, and using indirect and direct heat to ensure a fully cooked, juicy, flavorful sausage without drying it out,” Henderson said.
