Alternatives to poach and sear

[BenjaminTaylor]

When doing sausage to order the traditional poach, hot hold, and sear method is pretty standard.

Does anyone use a different method for cooking sausages quickly?

I worry that poaching them might leach out flavor.

Has anyone tried steaming?

Or slow roasting? (temperature control issues?/shrinkage?)

Thanks.

[redzed]

I assume here you are talking about cooking sausage for consumption rather than making sausage. If so, there is no clear answer to that. You do what you like. Poaching cooks the sausage and the sear adds a different flavour. I remember Gordon Ramsay once said in his Shakespearean style, "no sizzle, no f...n flavour". Your flavour will not be compromised when you poach the sausage. You do that gently, check the temp of the water so that it stays somewhere in the 165 range and remove the sausage when the IT is 150. Don't poke the sausage during the cooking process or else you will lose the flavour! And never, never boil it. When I make Italian sausage or bratwurst I cook it a different way every time. Sometimes I poach it, sometimes I throw it on the barbecue, and occasionally I torture it in the frying pan. Roasting it with veggies and small potatoes is another way. And when I find a batch at the bottom of the freezer I like to roast it in a strong sauce of some sort to mask any freezer burn off-taste. However you do it, just don't over do it!

[JerBear]

I agree with redzed, your options really come down to preference. My last big batch I poached, the most recently couple I pulled from the freezer were heated very very slowly on the stovetop and when firm I cranked up the heat a little to color them up.

There is some shrinkage involved in roasting but I felt that I like the flavor and snap of the casing when I last did that.

Never tried steaming.