An Odd Memory

When I was a kid and my grandmother was still alive part of the traditional Easter meal was sausage stew. No, I don’t know why. Probably because my grandmother liked it. Oh we also had baked ham and the regular stuff that you’d expect. We just had sausage stew in addition to all that.

But it wasn’t just sausage stew. No, when she made it, it was stuffed into a pig stomach. That’s how she cooked it. On Easter anyway. The rest of the time it was made in a kettle, as you’d think it would be.

I can’t really say that making it in a pig stomach significantly changed the flavor. I don’t even know exactly how it was cooked, once it was in the stomach. In case you’re wondering, the stomach wasn’t solid. It was slit all over, open but not so much that the pieces inside would fall out. It was more of a casing, a bag almost that held the stew together so it was easier to serve than ladling out of a stew pot would be.

The point of this bit of nostalgia? I was given some very nice smoked sausage which set me to remembering. I’m using it to make sausage stew tomorrow. In a kettle, without the stomach. It’ll be ready mid-afternoon, I’m guessing. Stop by if you’re in the area. I’m sure there will be enough to share.

Happy weekend!