| New Orleans hot sausage | |
| Main Ingredient: | Ground pork or beef, cayenne pepper, paprika, various spices |
| Type: | Sausage |
| Associated Cuisine: | Louisiana Creole cuisine and Cajun cuisine |
| Place Of Origin: | New Orleans |
New Orleans hot sausage is a type of sausage used in the cuisine of New Orleans and its surrounding parishes. It’s also used at a lesser extent in the Acadiana region. It’s also known by its French name chaurice.
Commonly known today as Hot sausage in New Orleans and surrounding parishes and hot link in other parts of Louisiana, hot sausage is also known as "chaurice" in Louisiana French and is a part of the historical cuisine of New Orleans and its surrounding parishes. It has also spread westward into the Acadiana region in the days of old with early ties between the two regions so it can be found in Acadiana today as well.
Its origin in south Louisiana began as chorizo brought by Spaniards during Louisiana’s Spanish colonial period. Its name was translated into Louisiana French as chaurice, in which one can see the term chaurice is a French form of the Spanish term chorizo. This change took place because French was the dominant language of New Orleans and the region at the time. Hot sausage and hot link are its English language names that are very common today.
It is traditionally made of pork or a blend of beef and pork, although some brands like A.P. Patton's make all-beef hot sausage.[1] New Orleans hot sausage is traditionally seasoned with cayenne pepper, paprika, onions, garlic, black pepper and salt. Some variations include other seasonings such as sage, thyme, or red pepper flakes. It is commonly produced in both patty and link form, but is separate from hot links.[2] The sausage takes its reddish color from the seasonings used.[3] [4]
Po' boys made with hot sausage patties or links are a traditional part of New Orleans street food.[5] [6] [7] Hot sausage po'boys are prepared by placing a patty on po'boy bread with melted American cheese, mayonnaise, and sliced lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.[8] [9] [10] [11] Hot sauce and Creole mustard may also be used as condiments.[12] Restaurants in southern Louisiana also commonly mix hot sausage with ground beef to make seasoned hamburger patties.[13]
It is also used in gumbo,[14] with breakfast dishes,[15] or served with red beans and rice.[16]