Sausages and brats are a staple at any tailgate party. Inferior and poor tasting sausages at a tailgate is a major tailgating faux pas. That’s why you should strive to not just bring the run of the mill meats to your next tailgate but to seek out the kind that will have your tailgate party guests hovering around the grill waiting for the next batch to come off.
The folks at Premio Foods contacted us and asked if we had ever had their sausage. Sadly, we had to answer no. They offered to send us some samples to test out and give some honest feedback on what we thought. Who are we to turn down an offer of some free meat in the interest of helping tailgaters make an educated choice as what to serve while tailgating?
(Disclaimer: We did receive samples of Premio sausage for free. The fact these samples were provided to us free of charge in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)
We were sent samples of the Premio Sweet/Mild Italian Sausage and the Premio Hot Italian Sausage. Both came in a package with five sausages in each. We grilled both kinds for dinner and placed them in rolls with some marinara sauce on the sweet/mild sausages and just some shredded cheese on the hot sausages.
The sweet/mild Italian sausages had very good flavor and were complimented well by the marinara sauce. The hot Italian sausage was very good as well. The spiciness of the sausage wasn’t overwhelming and you could tell the Premio folks weren’t trying to use shock and awe to try and cover up the flavor with a bunch of spices. Sometimes sausages that are over the top spicy do so because they are trying to mask the flavor and we all know spices are much cheaper than using quality cuts of meat.
Premio is a family owned, Italian sausage manufacturer, based in northern New Jersey. Premio sausage, both pork and chicken, is available throughout the USA in grocery stores and other locations, such as Wal-Mart and Costco.
In addition to the two flavors of sausage we tried, they have all kinds of sausage including bratwurst, kielbassa, chorizo and breakfast sausages. As mentioned before, they even have chicken sausage for those that do not eat pork or are a little more health conscience.
We tried the Premio sausages on the grill because many of you while tailgating would probably prepare them on a grill while out tailgating. In learning more about Premio’s sausages, a few recipes jumped out that looked really good. I will share two with you here but if you are looking for more, check out the Premio recipe section for more ideas.
Bacon Wrapped Sausage Coins with Pineapple Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup pineapple preserves
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
• 1 package of Premio Sausage, any variety, cut into 1/3-inch rounds
• 1 1/2 pounds bacon, each slice cut in half
How to make Bacon Wrapped Sausage Coins with Pineapple Dipping Sauce:
Combine the preserves, the water, the lime juice, the soy sauce, the mustard and the pepper flakes in a blender or food processor. Puree until all the ingredients are blended and the mixture is smooth. Pour sauce into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. (Sauce can be made 5 days in advance).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet, with sides, with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Wrap each sausage round with a slice of bacon, secure with a wooden pick, and set on prepared baking sheet. Bake until bacon is brown and crisp, about 20 – 25 minutes per side. Remove baking sheet from oven, transfer bacon wrapped sausage coins to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess fat.
Spoon sauce into a small bowl and set in the center of a large serving platter. Arrange bacon wrapped sausage coins around sauce bowl.
Serve immediately.
Serves 8 – 10 for appetizers
Italian Sausage Subs
Ingredients:
• 1 pkg Premio mild Italian sausage
• 1 16 oz can spaghetti sauce
• 1 8 oz can of Italian style diced tomatoes
• 1 small bell pepper sliced
• 1 small can sliced mushrooms optional
• 6 rolls
How to make Italian Sausage Subs:
Cook Premio Sweet/Mild Italian Sausage on stove medium heat until no longer pink in middle. Then add sauce, tomatoes, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Simmer for 30 min or longer. Season to taste. Serve on roll with Mozzarella cheese melted on the sausage. Serves 6.