Getting ready to make a big ol pot of gumbo soon and the place I used to get andouille from has become.... undesirable. So I decided to try making my own! Super happy with the way they turned out! Good bind, great snap to the casings, awesome flavour and texture. There's a pleasant bit of firey heat from the cayenne and black pepper. Definitely going to do this recipe again!

• 3kg cubed pork shoulder
• 43g kosher salt
• 9g prague #1
• 4 Tbsp fresh grated garlic
• 3.5 tsp cayenne
• 2.5 tsp paprika
• 2.5 tsp dried thyme
• 2.5 tsp medium ground black pepper
• 170 ml ice water

Freeze the cubed pork for an hour before grinding once on a 3mm die. Return to the freezer for another hour. Add all the seasonings to the meat and mix until sticky. I did this much in two batches in my kitchenaid mixer. Stuff the sausages (I used 32/35mm hog casings) and twist into links. Dry in the fridge on wire racks for 24 hours. If you're able to set up a small fan to blow over them during this period, it really helps the process! Cold smoke for 24 hours. I do stuff like this in the winter because it lets me keep a food safe temperature in the chamber for that length of time. I used alder for my smoke because it's a good local wood here, but oak or pecan would be great too. After 24 hours, start bringing your smoker temp up. I used this schedule: 120f for an hour, 140 for an hour, 180 until they hit 155f internal. Take em out, drop them into ice water to cool completely, then wipe them dry with a towel and into the fridge they go overnight to bloom. I should also mention that it's essential to eat one as soon as it comes out of the smoker. That's just responsible cooking! Once they've had that final bloom in the fridge they're fully ready to either package up or start using.