Lincolnshire Sausages

[Mark62]

My grandad was a butcher from Lincolnshire, and his sausages (as do mine) contain coarse-minced pork, bread, sage, white pepper and salt. And nothing else. That's a Lincolnshire sausage. Some may be of the opinion that the flavour is improved with the addition of other seasonings, but that don't make no never mind, they're making a variation, not the One True Sausage.

[wheels]

Thanks for that Mark62. I was unaware of that .

I'll give it a go.

[Gill]

The sausages that were made by Mr Thornalley in Alford definitely had allspice in them. They were the proper Lincolnshire sausages that I grew up with and any butcher who sold Lincolnshire sausages which didn't have this seasoning must have been defrauding his customers.



Think about it for a minute - Lincolnshire sausages have such an enticingly different flavour that they couldn't be made using such simple ingredients as those specified by the Lincolnshire Sausage Association. For goodness sake, the LSA is based in Brigg which is practically on the border of Yorkshire! What on earth would such people know about sausages made throughout England's second largest county? What would they know about sausages made in Grantham, Skegness or Stamford? There must be variations within the region and to define all Lincolnshire sausages by this one list of ingredients is clearly erroneous.

[adventureswiththepig]

I've caused pork controversy!


For what its worth, the ones I've made taste just how I would expect Lincolnshire sausages to taste. The nutmeg and coriander sit beautifully with the pepper to give a well rounded spice rather than just the plain pepper flavour.

[Mark62]

The sausages that were made by Mr Thornalley in Alford definitely had allspice in them. They were the proper Lincolnshire sausages that I grew up with and any butcher who sold Lincolnshire sausages which didn't have this seasoning must have been defrauding his customers.



Think about it for a minute - Lincolnshire sausages have such an enticingly different flavour that they couldn't be made using such simple ingredients as those specified by the Lincolnshire Sausage Association. For goodness sake, the LSA is based in Brigg which is practically on the border of Yorkshire! What on earth would such people know about sausages made throughout England's second largest county? What would they know about sausages made in Grantham, Skegness or Stamford? There must be variations within the region and to define all Lincolnshire sausages by this one list of ingredients is clearly erroneous.

Gill: the sausages made in Lincolnshire by your nice Mr Thornally were, I have no doubt, lovely. But Alford's about as close to Norfolk as Brigg is to Yorkshire......... Why would the LSA need to be in the geographical centre anyway? Eh? Do you think they sit muttering about The Heretic Thornally from down south and how he'd be first up against the wall come the revolution if only the b*gger hadn't escaped them by dying first?

If they're going to aim for protected status then they've got to be pretty tight on ingredients, or it could result in anarchy. Are you suggesting that any sage-heavy pork sausage made in Lincolnshire, no matter what else goes into it, is to be accorded Lincolnshire status? That way madness lies: STARK MADNESS, I tell you!!!!











How long was I out?

To be honest, I don't think it really much matters if a bit of this and that seasoning creates some variation. I'm sure many butchers would have had their "secret ingredient" to jazz up their sausages, and it probably won't have been regional, but from maker to maker. I've always been told by the family that a true Lincolnshire sausage is made using that specific, limited palette, and it seems the powers that be agree, quasi-Tykes or not............. I'm sure they had a look round the whole county before making a decision, d'you not think?

BTW: I was actually born and bred in Surrey, now live in Nottingham.
Which is about as close to Lincoln as Alford is. And they're both a bit further away than Brigg.

[adventureswiththepig]

@Mark Are you running a shot in Notts? I'll have to come check it out next time I'm there.

[Mark62]

adventureswtp: no shop I'm afraid, friends and family only. Haven't made any for a while as we've just moved house and settling in. Stuffer has just made it back from storage so hope to start again soon! Also want to see if I can source some rare breeds/free-range pork, but it's hard in Nottingham so may have to go postal.

[adventureswiththepig]

Just made some Panchetta using some belly from Gonalston Farm Shop. they're very good for meat.

[Gill]

That's just what I'm saying, Mark - it's madness to think you can take one particular sausage from Lincolnshire and define its ingredients as being the only constituents of the Lincolnshire Sausage. The types of sausages that are made vary from Lindsey to Kesteven to Holland and even from butcher to butcher within the same town. It should not be afforded protected status.[/b]

[Mark62]

That's just what I'm saying, Mark - it's madness to think you can take one particular sausage from Lincolnshire and define its ingredients as being the only constituents of the Lincolnshire Sausage. The types of sausages that are made vary from Lindsey to Kesteven to Holland and even from butcher to butcher within the same town. It should not be afforded protected status.[/b]

I agree with you, but it does seem a bit odd that anyone can call a sausage a Lincolnshire, no matter what goes into it in terms of flavourings (other than a load of sage). If you're going to say "This is a Lincolnshire sausage", then surely there has to be a standard recipe, or at least ingredients? All the rest are Baines the Butchers sausages, or Thornally's or so on and so on and them whole notion of a Lincolnshire sausage becomes pointless anyway and just a kind iof vague guide as to what you're going to get. I suppose the LSA just found the most widespread type and went with that?

[johnfb]

So do we have a definitive recipe for these sausages?

[adventureswiththepig]

So I took some of the sausage meat and wrapped it in pastry. It may not be authentic but its bloody lovely, particularly with some smoked cheese.

http://adventureswiththepig.wordpress.c ... age-rolls/

[Mark62]

So do we have a definitive recipe for these sausages?

I'll go with the LSA.

Not sure, but I don't think Gill agrees....

Who threw that?


As long as it's coarse minced, with a loose, slightly "bready" texture and has loads of sage and a good bosh of white pepper in it, if you want to pop a bit of something else in, who really cares? You could call it the South Lincolnshire. Or the Lincoln. Or whatever.

[johnfb]

So do we have a definitive recipe for these sausages?

I'll go with the LSA.

Not sure, but I don't think Gill agrees....

Who threw that?


As long as it's coarse minced, with a loose, slightly "bready" texture and has loads of sage and a good bosh of white pepper in it, if you want to pop a bit of something else in, who really cares? You could call it the South Lincolnshire. Or the Lincoln. Or whatever.

Having never tasted a "proper" one its nice to have a recipe to work off

[adventureswiththepig]

So do we have a definitive recipe for these sausages?

As long as it's coarse minced, with a loose, slightly "bready" texture and has loads of sage and a good bosh of white pepper in it, if you want to pop a bit of something else in, who really cares? You could call it the South Lincolnshire. Or the Lincoln. Or whatever.

Amen to that....

Perhaps Abraham Lincolnshire Sausage as a name?