Overview

Coarse‑ground, pecan‑kissed Cajun andouille made the right way—clean smoke, dark mahogany color, and no fat‑out. This is a practical, stepwise method tailored for backyard pits.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder, cubed and well‑chilled: 4 lb (1.81 kg)
• Pork back fat, cubed and well‑chilled: 1 lb (0.45 kg)
• Kosher salt: 41 g (about 2.5 Tbsp Morton or 4 Tbsp Diamond Crystal; weigh for accuracy)
• Cure #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite): 5.7 g (about 1 level tsp; weigh)
• Sweet paprika: 20 g (about 4 Tbsp)
• Cayenne pepper: 5 g (about 2 tsp)
• Coarse black pepper: 10 g (about 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp)
• White pepper: 4 g (about 1.5–2 tsp)
• Fresh garlic, finely minced: 25 g (about 5–6 cloves) or granulated garlic: 10 g (about 1 Tbsp)
• Onion powder: 8 g (about 2 tsp)
• Dried thyme: 2 g (about 2 tsp)
• Cracked mustard seed: 4 g (about 2 tsp)
• Ground allspice: 1 g (about 1/2 tsp)
• Sugar or dextrose: 6 g (about 1.5 tsp)
• Ice water: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Natural hog casings 32–35 mm, rinsed and soaked

Equipment

• Meat grinder with 10–12 mm and 4.5–6 mm plates
• Sausage stuffer (5 lb / 2.3 kg class preferred)
• Accurate gram scale (0.1 g resolution for cure)
• Instant‑read probe thermometer and/or leave‑in probe
• Smoker capable of steady 110–170°F (43–77°C)
• Hanging rods or sausage hooks
• Sausage pricker
• Large mixing tub and food‑safe gloves
• Ice bath container and plenty of ice
• Natural hog casings 32–35 mm
• Water pan for humidity
• Vacuum sealer (optional but recommended)

Wood

Pecan as the base, with a light touch of hickory for backbone

Time & Temp

Time & Temp
Smoke temp: 160 °F (71 °C)
Target internal: 152 °F (67 °C)
Approx duration: 4 hours

Why Andouille, Why at Home

Louisiana andouille is a heavily smoked, coarse sausage built for gumbo, jambalaya, and the grill. Making it at home lets you control the smoke profile and texture while preventing the dreaded fat‑out that plagues store‑bought shortcuts.

What Makes It Cajun

Cajun andouille leans on pork shoulder and back fat, assertive garlic and pepper, and a deep smoke that plays well in stews or sliced over rice. The grind stays chunky, the seasoning is bold but balanced, and the casing should dry to a satin sheen with a mahogany hue from a steady, not sooty, smolder of pecan and a touch of hickory.

Meat and Fat: Ratios and Prep

Aim for about 80/20 meat‑to‑fat from pork shoulder and added back fat. Trim sinew and glands, cube to 1-inch (2.5 cm), and chill the meat and grinder parts until they’re just shy of frozen. Cold parts preserve definition in the grind and protect texture later in the smoke.

Seasoning and Cure (Do the Math)

Use salt around 1.8% of total meat plus fat by weight and Cure #1 at 0.25%. Weigh both on a gram scale; do not guess. Cure #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite) is not table salt—label it clearly and store it away from everyday spices. Nitrite is required here because we’re smoking at sub‑cooking temperatures for hours. Beyond salt and cure, Cajun flavor comes from garlic, black and white pepper, paprika for color, thyme, a hint of mustard seed, and a touch of cayenne. Sugar or dextrose rounds the edges without turning it sweet.

Grind and Mix for Snap, Not Smear

Grind half the meat/fat through a 10–12 mm plate and the other half through 4.5–6 mm for a speckled interior. Keep the mix under 34°F (1°C). Add seasonings and ice water and mix until tacky and sticky strands form—this protein extraction is key to a good bind and crisp slice. If the batter warms, chill it before stuffing.

Stuffing and Linking

Soak and flush 32–35 mm natural hog casings, then load a stuffer and pack the canister firmly to avoid air pockets. Stuff links with even pressure, not drum‑tight, and twist every 6–8 inches (15–20 cm). Prick trapped bubbles with a sausage pricker to prevent blisters during smoking. Hang the links to straighten the curves before drying.

Drying the Pellicle

Dry the cased sausage until the surface feels tacky, not wet. A fan in a cool room or an uncovered rest in the refrigerator works, but a short warm dry in the pit before smoking is even better. A proper pellicle anchors clean smoke and keeps the casing from turning rubbery.

Recipe: Smoked Cajun Andouille (with Fat‑Out Control)

Dry phase: Hang sausages in a preheated pit at about 110°F (43°C) with plenty of airflow and no smoke for 45–60 minutes until the casings lose surface moisture. Begin smoke: Add a small, clean fire of pecan with a touch of hickory. Raise the pit gently to 125°F (52°C) for 45 minutes, then 140°F (60°C) for 60–90 minutes for steady color build. Finish: Increase to 155–160°F (68–71°C) and hold until the sausage reaches 150–152°F (66–67°C) internal in the center of the thickest link. Keep the pit under 170°F (77°C) to avoid fat‑out. If your pit struggles to stay low, smoke for color until the links are around 130–135°F (54–57°C) internal, then bag or rack and finish in a 155–160°F (68–71°C) water bath or sous vide until 150–152°F internal. Pull and immediately shock in an ice bath until the internal temperature drops below 90°F (32°C). Hang at room temperature 45–60 minutes to bloom, then refrigerate uncovered overnight to set the casing. Doneness check: internal 150–152°F, clear juices, firm fat with no greasy pockets, and a dry, mahogany casing.

Smoke Profile and Wood Choice

Pecan is the Louisiana move—nutty and medium in strength. A small touch of hickory or post oak adds backbone without tipping bitter. Run a small, clean fire with thin blue smoke and a water pan for humidity. Avoid heavy resinous woods and resist over‑smoking; you want depth, not creosote.

Fat‑Out Control: The Short List

Start cold: pre‑chill meat, fat, grinder, and stuffer. Maintain a gradual pit ramp and never run the chamber so hot that the fat liquefies in the casing. Humidity helps—use a water pan to minimize case hardening. Mix to a proper bind and stuff without air. Finish with an ice bath to lock the fat and prevent wrinkles. If your cooker can’t live below 170°F, smoke for color then finish gently in a 155–160°F water bath.

Storage and Use

Refrigerate cooked andouille at 34–38°F (1–3°C) and use within 7 days; vacuum‑sealed links can go 2–3 weeks. Freeze up to 3 months for best quality. It’s ready‑to‑eat after the smoke and chill, but most cooks rewarm gently in 160°F (71°C) water or brown over low heat. Avoid boiling, which can split casings and push fat out.

Food Safety

Handle raw pork like raw poultry—sanitize surfaces, wash hands, and keep raw and cooked tools separate. Use Cure #1 exactly by weight; do not substitute table salt. Because you are smoking at sub‑pasteurization chamber temps, curing is mandatory. Keep meat and batter cold throughout to minimize bacterial growth, and never leave sausage in the danger zone (40–140°F / 4–60°C) for more than 4 total hours. Rapidly chill finished links with an ice bath and get them under 40°F (4°C) within 2 hours.

Troubleshooting

Greasy pockets or crumbly slices indicate fat‑out or a weak bind—cool your process, mix longer to tackiness, and lower your finish temp. Wrinkled casings usually come from overdrying or skipping the ice bath—add humidity and chill promptly. Gray color suggests either no cure or poor drying before smoke; confirm your cure math and form a pellicle next time. Bitter smoke points to a smoldering, dirty fire—open the vents, burn smaller splits, and aim for thin blue smoke.

Notes

• If your pit can’t hold <170°F (77°C), smoke for color to ~130–135°F (54–57°C) internal, then finish in a 155–160°F (68–71°C) water bath or sous vide to 150–152°F.
• Keep batter under 34°F (1°C) to avoid smear; chill between steps as needed.
• Use a water pan to add humidity; it reduces case hardening and speeds color development.
• Ice‑bath to below 90°F (32°C), then bloom at room temp before refrigeration for the best casing set.
• Label and store Cure #1 separately from table salt; measure by grams, not spoons.