This recipe is comfort food to the max! Spicy elk sausage nestled in a creamy gravy, tender braised kale, and luxurious cheesy grits. Each spoonful is packed with flavor and comforting goodness. It's the perfect meal to warm up on a cold winter night!
How to make elk sausage:
Sausage-making is a fairly simple process. This recipe is for a loose sausage which means the meat doesn't go into a casing. Stuffing sausages does take some skill and technique but we'll focus on the easier type for now. There are endless possibilities for seasoning mixtures for sausage. The standard loose sausages people usually think of are breakfast sausage and Italian sausage but you can get really creative with flavor combinations as well.
This recipe is a Cajun-esque sausage. It's a little spicy with loads of flavor from the mixture of spices - paprika, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. You can add as much or as little cayenne as you want depending on how spicy you'd like it to be. I like to make up enough seasoning mixture for a few batches and store it in glass jars to make the process much simpler in the future.
Once you have your spice mixture, all you need to do is blend the seasoning into the meat by hand and let it sit in the fridge. Ideally, the sausage should sit at least overnight to absorb all the flavors, but even a few hours makes a big difference. If you don't add any fat to your wild game, cooking it in lard is a great way to add some extra flavor.
How to make sausage gravy:
Most people think of biscuits and gravy when referring to sausage gravy but you can really make gravy out of just about any sausage! This sausage recipe makes a fantastic gravy that is a perfect pairing with cheesy grits. Start by cooking up the sausage in a cast iron pan. Then remove the sausage and cook some diced onion and garlic in the pan.
Add in some butter and flour and cook until browned and bubbly. Add in some stock or broth, cream, and a few spices and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until thickened and pour it over cheesy grits like in this recipe or whatever starch you want!
How to make cheesy grits:
Cheesy grits really are the ultimate comfort food. They're rich, warm, flavorful, creamy, you name it. Every bite is so full of goodness. And you know what? They're pretty easy to make! Start with a saucepan with stock or broth, cream, and a little salt and pepper. Bring it to a simmer and slowly whisk in the grits. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened and cooked through. Stir in some butter and shredded cheese (white cheddar is my favorite) and they're ready to go!
What can I do with a bunch of kale?
Kale has been a pretty popular vegetable in recent years due to claims as a "super food." Kale is such a versatile vegetable but is still off-putting to some. If you know someone who isn't into kale, serve it alongside something a little more familiar and maybe they'll learn to love it! Kale can be unappealing to some because of the strong flavor and chewy texture. But if you braise it, it becomes very tender and mild tasting.
Start by washing the kale and cutting it into approximately 1" wide ribbons. Heat a little fat of your choice in a large skillet and add it in. I like to use bacon grease if I have some on hand. Stir it a few times until it starts to wilt. This will only take 2-3 minutes. Add in some stock or broth, and simmer until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes. Finish it by stirring in a bit of vinegar to add some bright flavor and that's it! It can be enjoyed as a side dish or in this recipe with sausage gravy and cheesy grits.
Serving Suggestions:
Alright, you have your sausage gravy, braised kale, and cheesy grits. Now all you need is a bowl, spoon, and a little something fresh to top it off. Spoon the cheesy grits into a bowl. Arrange the kale on top of the grits. Now lather it up with some of that spicy sausage gravy, as much or as little as you want!
Top it off with some fennel fronds, chopped parsley, or other fresh herbs and dig in! Make sure you get a little bit of everything on your spoon. The flavors of everything together are just *chef's kiss*.
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Recipe:
Spicy Elk Sausage Gravy over Cheesy Grits
Equipment
- 12" or larger cast iron pan
Ingredients
Sausage:
- 1 lb ground elk (or deer, pronghorn, moose, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
Sausage Gravy:
- 1 lb elk sausage (see above)
- 3 tablespoon pork lard
- 4 tablespoon butter, divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups wild game stock (or beef stock)
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional, for color)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Wilted Kale
- 6 cups fresh Siberian kale, cut into 1 inch ribbons (or Tuscan kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease or lard
- ½ cup broth (wild game, chicken, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Cheesy Grits:
- 1 cup corn grits or polenta
- 3 cups broth (chicken, wild game, etc.)
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 8 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Other Ingredients (optional):
- red pepper flakes, for topping
- 6 tablespoon fennel fronds or chopped parsley, for topping
Instructions
Sausage:
- Combine all spices in a small bowl. Pour spice mixture over meat. Mix together with your hands until spice mixture is well-distributed in the meat. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
Cheesy Grits:
- Bring broth, half and half, salt, and pepper to a low boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once mixture is boiling, slowly add in grits, whisking the mixture as you pour them in. Reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once grits are thickened but still creamy, add in butter and shredded cheese. Stir until melted. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Sausage Gravy:
- While grits are cooking, prepare sausage gravy. Heat cast iron pan over medium-high heat. I use a 12" pan to fit all of the gravy.
- Add lard to pan and heat until melted. Add in sausage. Break up meat until it makes a layer on the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for a while (3-5 minutes) before stirring or flipping it.
- Once the bottom layer of meat has a nice crisp to it, flip the meat and redistribute in the pan. Continue cooking until all meat is browned, about 5 minutes longer.
- Remove cooked sausage to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low. If there is grease left in the pan, you can use less butter for the gravy. You need about 4 tablespoon of fat total. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan if needed and cook until melted.
- Add in onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring frequently. Add in remaining 3 tablespoon butter and cook until melted.
- Add in flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook until brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add stock, half and half, paprika, salt, and pepper to pan and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened and reduced a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently. It may not thicken as much as you expect but it will thicken as it cools.
- Add sausage back into gravy and continue cooking until heated through. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Wilted Kale:
- While gravy and grits are cooking, prepare kale.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in bacon grease or lard. Once melted, add in kale.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted, stirring frequently.
- Add in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in vinegar and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Assembly:
- Divide grits among bowls. Top with wilted kale. Pour sausage gravy over kale and grits. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, fennel fronds and/or chopped parsley. Enjoy!
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