Gluten-Free Sausages

It had been a long time since I had a sausage. I was a vegetarian for 15 years, a long time before I had to give in due to this last round of food sensitivities. Even when I was a ‘meat-eater’ my sausage consumption was limited to the odd one eaten at the St Jacob’s market and usually around Oktoberfest. And that also depended on if I had a Saturday morning off to go along with my mom. I was lucky if I had one a year.

But with a gluten issue, having sausages can get even trickier. The vendors in the market or on the downtown corner don’t usually have their packages with them and who really wants one without the bun (so messy). But last fall I got a hankering for one, actually, I think I had a craving for sauerkraut and the only thing I ever had with sauerkraut was a sausage (or the odd time straight out of the jar). I knew that Metro’s line of sausages were gluten-free so I thought I’d pick some up and give them a try.

While Metro normally has a variety of types (different Italian ones, Bratwurst, etc), my little Metro often only has one or two. On my first try I picked up mild Italian for a pasta dish. I fried them whole in a frying pan, let them cool a bit, then sliced them up while my pasta was boiling away. I warmed up the sauce and tossed the sliced sausage in. For me it was different as I had never ever had sausages with pasta before (but had seen it on menus), and it was quite good. I was surprised I enjoyed it.

On my second attempt I thought I’d use some of the sauerkraut that was sitting in my fridge for some reason (seriously, I have no idea what it was doing in my fridge). I was quick when my Metro finally got some of the Bratwurst in and picked up a package. My mom was in town again and I fried them up in a frying pan over low heat, making sure they didn’t burst or crack. 

As they were almost done I put some sauerkraut in the pan with it so it could warm up a bit. Mustard was all we needed to add and we just enjoyed these German-style sausages.

While I have enjoyed Metro’s line of sausages, I have also noticed that more and more shops are carrying gluten-free sausages (Farm Boy, some butcher shops, and some places that carry other gluten-free items). With options growing I’m able to spread my wings a bit more and try them. I know there is no way I’ll be eating sausages all the time like I remember my babcia doing (I didn’t even do that growing up), I do know that I enjoy a good quality sausage and can have it without the side effects.