View Full Version : What's the best supermarket sausage?
I really love sausage, no you don't understand, I REALLY love sausages and as usual the supermarkets have managed to botch an otherwise great product. I reckon I've eaten quite a few but what's your favourite?
Sainsburys basics are too grim for words. Too much fat and stay pink once cooked, what's that all about? Their 'Butcher's Choice' used to be quite nice but I noticed the fat and gristle levels have gone up and they aren't what they used to be. I don't like their Taste the Difference ones. Here there isn't enough fat in my opinion and the snag makes a dry unpleasant fry-up.
Duchy Originals, now there's a fine sausage. They've got it just right with the mix and a good amount of pepper in there.
The Black Farmer, didn't like these and they taste too similar to Sainsburys Taste the Difference. Closer inspection they are the same weight, the packaging is identical but printed differently and I smelled a rat.
Porkinson Banger were pretty good. Nice taste but a bit fatty for toad in the hole or bangers and mash. Good sausage though.
Waitrose have a gluten free sausage that's pretty nice, only problem is they use rice as the rusk, so every now and then you get a chunk of whole rice and it looks like a hunk of knuckle. Good tate and good seasoning though, well worth a try.
And one for the veggies, Quorn bangers. I like these and I'd rather eat them than a cheap sausage. Great texture and taste and fills that gap for the veggies when I'm on a sausage bonanza.
Just realised you posted here as well! Quick copy and paste...
If you must get supermarket sausages, I've found Richmond Irish taste the best. Yes, they're bright pink and are essentially a tube of mulch, but by god they taste good. If you're just after a standard banger then go for it.
Loving veggie sausages. OM nom nom nom.
For healthier eaters, the 95% fat free med sausages on a BBQ are pretty awesome :) You can get them in Asda... and I think now sainsburys!
I have to admit I'm not a biggy on sausages, much more of a bacon lass I am. Buuut, a good sausage to me is generally a butchers sausage... I guess you could get similar at the delicatessen in a supermarket... but for me, good sausages consist of:
1. A thick skin. One, which when you slice a knife through it, it makes a satisfying crack to it.
2. Meatyness. A awesome sausage requires proper meaty goodness in them which almost crumbles (not slices) when you cut through it.
3. NO GRISTLE! Gristle is the only thing that will 100% put me off my entire food and make me want to throw up. Nuh uh no way hose, bad bad bad.
4. Herbs. I love herby sausages.
5. Lack of Fat. Those which you grill and end up spewing out a centimetre depth of fat to the bottom of the pan are just WRONG! *scraps tongue* Makes me feel like I've just coated all my inards in lard when I eat they sausages! Bleh! Little fat please!!
:)
I've always found the best ones are the small but chunky ones you get. Nom nom nom.
French sausages (or chipolatas) for the win though overall!
Your timing is great, Jonny. I was wondering what to have for dinner tonight - toad in the hole it is!
I'm yet to find a supermarket sausage that I really like. I did get some from Sainsburys a few weeks ago that at the time I thought tasted really good but I then picked up some from a butcher and realised that the supermarket ones really didn't taste that good at all.
The Richmond ones that Belmit mentioned are pretty good. I find they're better when cooked very, very slowly.
Your timing is great, Jonny. I was wondering what to have for dinner tonight - toad in the hole it is!
Bangers and mash last night ;D
Bangers and mash last night ;D
With onion gravy I hope?
That was the other option, but I've got a hankering for some yorkshire pudding.
Del Lardo
29-04-2009, 11:32
I enjoyed the ASDA Extra special ones I had for dinner last night and they're doing 3 packs for £6 at the moment (6 sausages/pack).
I would like to know this too.
Had some lovely bangers in Australia, they were from the butchers though - chicken ones cooked on the Barby no less! :D
BB x
Colliwobbles
29-04-2009, 13:30
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Porkinson Banger were pretty good. Nice taste but a bit fatty for toad in the hole or bangers and mash. Good sausage though.
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Porkinson bangers are the best I've had in a while. I have to say I didn't find them fatty and they say 80% pork content which is fairly high?
Tesco Finest* Pork & Apple, Tesco Finest* Chorizo style paprika sausages- all to DIE for :)
SidewinderINC
29-04-2009, 21:35
I enjoyed the ASDA Extra special ones I had for dinner last night and they're doing 3 packs for £6 at the moment (6 sausages/pack).
These.
Tesco Finest* Pork & Apple, Tesco Finest* Chorizo style paprika sausages- all to DIE for :)
I'll add Tescos Finest* Pork Sausages and their Aberdeen Angus sausages.
Rusty Shackleford
30-04-2009, 09:33
I used to like the Sains TTD sausages, especially the pork and apple, although not much to compare to as it's the only supermarket I've frequented. Recall them being on a par with some ones I'd had from M&S a while back.
Having switched to using a butcher recently, they do a nice venison and rosemary sausage, and pork and leek one which is good for breakfast.
I really like the Waitrose Hampshire breed free range pork sausages. Oh and the pork and garlic, and the pork, leek&chive ones!!! Mucho tasty. And since Waitrose is walking distance from your house Jon you should go! :D
Stan_Lite
30-04-2009, 09:55
Pretty much all of the Tesco Finest range are pretty good - I'm especially fond of the sweet chilli ones.
I really like the Waitrose Hampshire breed free range pork sausages. Oh and the pork and garlic, and the pork, leek&chive ones!!! Mucho tasty. And since Waitrose is walking distance from your house Jon you should go! :D
We've got Waitrose and M&S all in walking distance, no wonder I like eating :D
I never stick to one particular brand but most of Tesco's decent range (i.e. not value) are quite good. For veggies the little lady likes (and pretty good IMO) the Cauldron sausages.
LeperousDust
30-04-2009, 12:57
I do love the weird and wonderful burgers the farmers market tend to make up, ostrich, veal etc... They cost a fortune quite obviously so its a very rare treat (well so far once). But they were different and scrummy :). I do love our local farmers market i just can't really justify spending so much money there, costs a fortune and my disposable income isn't anywhere near big enough! ;D
Last nights dinner was sausages, mash and onion gravy. I used Debbie & Andrew's 97% sausages and was thoroughly unimpressed. They smelt lovely whilst cooking but tasted quite bland - I wonder if they've heard of seasoning at the factory?
I tend to buy most of my sausages from the farmers market or my local butcher because they're just so much better. I also like all the different flavours they do. The nicest we've had were some venison ones.. mmmmm!
I've bought some of the Tesco Finest (Pork & Leek I think) ones before though and they were quite nice.
Last nights dinner was sausages, mash and onion gravy. I used Debbie & Andrew's 97% sausages and was thoroughly unimpressed. They smelt lovely whilst cooking but tasted quite bland - I wonder if they've heard of seasoning at the factory?
That's odd, I liked those ones but found them a little salty if anything :huh:
Consistency at its best.
Tonight I had wild venison sausages from the Village Sausage Shop, sautéd potatoes and buttery pea purée. The girl had the same with cheddar and spinach sausages fromt he same shop. Both thoroughly satisfied :)
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