Mt Karioi and chorizo

Mt Karioi and chorizo

 

Over the next few weeks I will be competing in the Jumbo-Holdsworth Race. I see this as a warm up for the Tararua Mountain Race held five weeks later. As part of my training I decided to go to the top of Karioi mountain near Raglan.

 

 

This is an old volcano that is close to the coast and stands dominant in the Raglan landscape at 756 metres above sea level. The route I took was up the Te Toto Gorge. This route follows the ridge on the true left of the gorge. It is not subtle, in fact it just goes straight up - deviations to make the route easier are not part of this track. There are even a couple of ladders provided to get over small rocky bluffs. In a number of spots chains are anchored into the rock, these assist the ascent and descent over a few precipitous points. The route follows the only place in the North Island where bush cover runs from the coast to peak. This bush is not majestic and the trees are not particularly large, maybe three to four metres high, however I was traveling up the ridge and I assume the exposure to the weather stunts the growth of the trees. The track is extremely rugged and gnarly, as I was travelling alone I did not push it too hard as it would be easy to do an ankle over the uneven terrain.

 

Raglan Harbour

 

When I reached the summit the view to Raglan Harbour to the north and Aotea Harbour to the south was well worth the effort of getting to the top. On a rock at the summit; surprise, surprise I found two sausages. Who would have thought? After tasting, and due consideration, I determined one of them was my favourite, chorizo criollo from Park Ave Quality Meats in Lower Hutt. I often mention this snarler and I still consider it is the best sausage available in Wellington. The other snarler was a Spanish chorizo from Top Cut Butchers in Raglan. This chorizo lacks complexity and balance in comparison - it is just hot flavour, too much chilli, pimenton or smoked paprika that dominates the sausage, a quality chorizo has balance with other flavours also present, I was not keen on this snarler.

 

 

On the way down you there were great vantage points looking into the gorge. You could see good bush and even a small flock of keruru or wood pigeons flying down the gorge. From above they did not look like the slow flying lumbering fat birds you see from the ground level when they take off from trees, they gracefully glided down the gorge.

An added extra:

We took a day trip to Kawhia. I had never been there before so we visited Ocean Beach, just to the north of the harbour. On the beach there were a pair of NZ dotterels nesting, signs identified them and their nest site was cordoned off by stakes and rope. Dotterels are endangered, there are less dotterels that there are kiwis. About twenty birds live south of Auckland, so it was a privilege to see this bird and their distinctive run across the sand. Below is a photo of one of the pair.

 

 

For other blog posts about being the hills, see this index.

Chorizo Criollo – Zamora, Queenstown

Chorizo Criollo – Zamora, Queenstown

After completing the Kepler Challenge we flew back to Wellington via Queenstown. We stopped in to see my favourite South Island butchers, Zamora. Matias, one of the owners of the business, was in the shop and he talked to me about how they create their fantastic array of sausages. Needless to say I purchased a few, along with some salamis and condiments. I came prepared with a freezer bag to keep the purchases cold on the flight back to Wellington, Zamora also kindly provided a block of ice.

Over the next few weeks I will review the purchases.

Yesterday I went a mate’s place for a barbecue. I know him through running and a group of us had a run before we fired up the BBQ and focused on eating. My legs were still tired after the exertion of the previous weekend so I bailed out early in the run and walked back to his place.

I took chorizo criollo to the barbecue. These sausages are made from pork and beef, the grind is medium to coarse, the dominant flavours are garlic and oregano. There is a subtle flavour of mild heat also present, but this is a secondary flavour. This is a great example of another quality sausage made by Zamora. I look forward to sampling the other varieties over the next few weeks.

It is quite an art to meld heat and herbs. Getting the balance between these two elements is something that many sausages fail to achieve, and the heat of the spice often overpowers the herbs. Zamora succeeds in the creating a very good balance and I would expect nothing less from these quality butchers.

Park Avenue Quality Meats also make a chorizo criollo with bolder flavours. This is my favourite sausage and is quite different to the one made by Zamora. Both of these sausages are very high quality, but if I had to choose the one I prefer I would select Park Avenue’s example. However the key message here is to let your taste buds be the decider, rather than my preferences. I suggest you sample both and let me know your views. You will not be disappointed by either sausage.

The Celebratory Breakfast - Whew!

The Celebratory Breakfast – Whew!

We had friends round to watch the final of the Rugby World Cup so the alarm was set for 4.40am. I didn’t think I could stumble out of bed at 4.58am and wander into the lounge in a state of semi undress with guests present, so I wore my lucky All Blacks jersey - the one I wore to the 2011 final. To date this has a 100% strike rate – after today I’ll be wearing it for a while…..

 

 

The tension was high. The tries either side of half time made it feel comfortable before the Aussies put us back on the edges of our seats by coming back from 21-3 down to 21-17. However, as the second half drew to a close, we shut them out, and with a late try to Beauden Barrett the score was 34-17 at the final whistle. There was unrestrained joy in the room.

One of our guests was texting her daughter who was in rehearsals for a theatre production in Pittsburgh, USA. She had half her mind on the production, and half on her NZ heritage.

 

 

 

Soon after the final whistle, I started on the cooking a breakfast of champions. We had black pudding, chorizo criollo and bacon from Park Ave Quality Meats, chicken lemon and sage sausages from Cameron Harrison, hash browns and eggs. For those wanting a cold breakfast there was bircher muesli and yoghurt. Most people washed this down with champagne and orange juice, or a plain juice.

The black pudding, an old English recipe, won a bronze medal at the recent Devro NZ Sausage Awards. It is a mixed texture pudding, very large chunks and finer parts within the casing. It has a soft texture in the mouth - the flavours are pleasant and quite mild. Our daughter is at home for the weekend - she wanted to know if she could take some leftover black pudding back to her flat. Although not everybody sampled it, those who did really enjoyed the taste and flavours.

 

 

The chicken sausage has elements of lemon and sage complementing the chicken. One guest was especially effusive about this snarler. Lemon is not a flavour I particularly like, however this is a quality chicken sausage that will appeal to those who like some lemon tartness to accentuate the chicken.

The guests all enjoyed my favourite sausage, the chorizo criollo. These are always good.

The mood of the breakfast was joyful as we talked over the match, and wondered where to from here? Both my wife and I and another couple mused about the possibility of a trip to Japan in four years’ time…. Somehow I think sausages probably won’t be on the menu for breakfast if we are there.

Cost: Chicken lemon and sage - $21.99kg.

Black Pudding - $16.99 for a tube.

Roasted eggplant with chorizo, whipped feta and walnuts

Roast eggplant with chorizo whipped feta and walnuts

I used a recipe that was in the Dominion Post’s Living magazine for roast eggplant with whipped feta and walnuts. This is easy to prepare. The writer in the article described these as the best thing he had made this year. I used by usual tactic of changing the recipe and added a slice of chorizo criollo, if you are adding chorizo this is my favourite.

 

 

I roasted the eggplant in the oven, I then mixed up some crumbly feta, crushed walnuts, lemon juice and parsley and a slice of chorizo. Easy to make and very delicious.

 

 

This was served with snapper fillets, baked with a yoghurt sauce with walnuts and breadcrumbs, and some broccoli and peas. A delectable meal.

 

 

Easter Tramping

Easter Tramping

Over Easter I decided to head for the hills. The weather forecast was not great, but there was a window of about 36 hours which looked promising so I decided to head up onto the tops. During the last couple of times I had been along the ridgeline of the Tararuas I was going at a reasonable clip, either training for an event or participating in a mountain running event. Although I was a bit stuffed during the Tararua Mountain Race in March, I found some parts of the event very peaceful as I moved my way amongst the clouds along the ridgeline. I wanted to go back to the tops and enjoy having time to engage with the environment.

Heading from Field towards Kime

I headed up to Field Hut and then onto the turn off to the track along main range, just before Kime Hut. I had thought I might go all the way to Maungahuka. It was an unusual day, I had hoped the cloud would lift but the opposite happened.  As I made my way along the main range visibility dropped to about 10 metres. There was no wind so I stopped sat and contemplated. I found a few spots where you could hear the silence, almost no wind, no insects and just peaceful, noiseless emptiness, in a swirl of claggy cloud. I could never be a yogi on top of a mountain, and if you tried this in the Tararuas you would get blown off, however I do enjoy the solitude. As the forecast was for gale to severe gales for the following day and I was going solo I retraced my path back and spent the evening in Kime Hut.

Cloud over the Main Range - It got a lot worse than this - taken from above Field Hut

 

This was the first time I have slept in the new hut. It is much brighter and bigger than the previous version but it was cold in the hut. One of the ironies of the new building code is that while new huts have to be double glazed and insulated, they also need to be vented because trampers use gas stoves for cooking. This means a free flow of circulating air in the hut. The internal temperature in the hut is about the same as the external temperature outside in the elements. This meant the temperature in the hut was above zero, but not by too much.

I meet a guy in the hut and I offered him one element of my standard tramping diet, sausages. I have brought my old favourites, kabonosy and chorizo criollo. We got talking and he told me that he makes his own sausages. His dad is Italian and he uses traditional family recipes and also other recipes he has gathered over the years. He was an affable fellow sausage enthusiast. You do not meet too many people who you can have a great sausage conversation with, let alone when on the Tararua mountain tops. This was an unexpected pleasure, and needless to say he appreciated the quality of both the kabonosy and the chorizo criollo.

As the forecast for the next day was severe gales later in the day, I decided to head back to the road end. It was a short enjoyable time in the hills. I liked the solitude and emptiness of being on the main range track. It was great to spend some time in the hills being alone and enjoying the silence of nature.

For other tramping and sausages posts here is an index.

New Zealand thrash West Indies (with saveloys)

New Zealand thrash West Indies (with saveloys)

 

 

The cricket world cup has been heating up as the tournament has progressed. Yesterday in Wellington Martin Guptill exploded in one of the great days in New Zealand sport. With a few mates we headed to the stadium for the quarter final between New Zealand and the West Indies. New Zealand were favourites, but the West Indies had the danger man Chris Gayle.

 

Guptill at the crease

 

Martin Guptill scored a memorable century of 111 balls before he went ballistic and scored another 137 runs off 54 balls. The ball was flying all over the arena in one of the great displays of power cricket. The West Indies in the field lost it as the players appeared to lose cohesion and not agree on the tactics to stop the juggernaut they were facing. Guptill’s final score was 237 not out, the highest score by an individual batsman in any world cup. The stadium atmosphere was electric - I have never been to cricket match where the crowd is chanting the batman’s name as the bowler runs in.

 

 

In the stands were we feasting on snarlers. I had perked some wild venison smoked saveloys. I can not tell you when I last ate a saveloy and I generally regard them as kid food. I boiled these up prior to the match and took them along. A mate at the cricket waxed lyrical about the cold saveloy sandwiches his mother used to make for school lunches, there was nothing but haute cuisine in Upper Hutt in the 1960s! These saveloys are minced to a fine pureed consistency and I would not have picked the meat as venison. They were moderately smoked, which added to the appeal. I regarded these as more of a novelty and although they were nice to eat it does not make me want to eat more saveloys.

 

 

I also took some kabonosy and Argentine chorizo criollo, which remains my favourite sausage. All the snarlers were well received. The couple next to us laughed as I took a photo of the saveloy against the crowd. The photographic art shot of a snarler at a sporting event is clearly still not recognised by all as an important part of social commentary.

 

 

When the West Indies batted they chased the runs but lost regular wickets to be all out. Daniel Vettori took a fantastic one handed catch in front of the section of where we were sitting. While I had thought the match against England was great, this took the cricket to another level.

This morning the voice is hoarse from overuse, chanting and applauding some sublime cricket. Roll on Tuesday when NZ takes on South Africa in the semifinal, dare we dream of a first appearance in a cricket world cup final, or even better a win in the final?

It is not all beer and sausages - Part Eight

It’s not all beer and sausages – Part Eight

In the weekend I competed in the Aorangi Undulator. This is a new event through the Aorangi Forest Park in the southern Wairarapa. It has the tag line: Not for the weak. In the waiver we signed it stated, I understand the race if not for the weak and no sign of weakness will be tolerated. You also signed away liability for loss, injury or death. But more about that later.

 

I had not been into this country before. We started at Mangatoetoe, which is on the coast past Ngawi but before the Cape Palliser lighthouse. The finish was at The Pinnacles. Most sensible people drive along the coast road to traverse between these two points. This run takes the inland route, over a variety of ridges and river valleys. All the climbs are steep and are matched by equally steep descents. Some of the ridges are narrow and precipitous with significant drop offs on either side. The total climb is 2700 vertical metres over the 33k course. If you consider that the first 4 kilometres are up a river valley, and last 6 kilometres come down an undulating ridge, you pack most of the 2700m of climb and descent into a compressed distance.

 

Due to a variety of factors I found this event very tough. For the first time in decades I suffered severe cramp. I got a massive shot of cramp in the calf as I fell on the penultimate descent. With bail out options non-existent I had to continue. By the time I got going again and was hobbling along, the tail end charlies had caught me. One of them said to me, "I am a hunter, I only carry dogs and dead things." I replied, "I weigh about 90 kilos, if you are going to carry me out, I suggest you gut me first to lighten the load." I had treated this run as training run and had not done much extra preparation for the event. I regard the run as the beginning of training for the Tararua Mountain Race in March. I also stopped at various spots to take photos and enjoy the atmosphere of bush.

 

 

The run goes through some nice but steep bush. The tracks are not traversed by a high number of people - they are gnarly, narrow and somewhat ill-defined with lots roots and rocks. It’s challenging technical terrain and a degree of navigation is required. There are lots of river crossings and at one stage you travelled down through a little gorge. The pools in the river were very picturesque and as I waded through another one I thought, isn’t it good that the organisers put ice baths on the course to allow for recovery of the muscles in the legs. Of course that was before the cramp came on.

 

At the start of each climb a sign was at the bottom giving information on the vertical ascent and the height of the top. An encouraging phrase also added to the tag line of the race.

 

 

 

 

The final undulation is the biggest one. My calf was still giving me twinges and tweaks of cramp so I was reluctant to push too hard. I was pleased to finish in a tad over 10 hours, and there were even a couple of competitors behind me. This was a couple of hours slower than I would have liked, however I was contented to have completed the course. I did find it very tough.

Throughout the race the thought of sausages and beer at the finish spurred me on. With a running mate I had arranged for quality sausages to be on the barbecue. Park Avenue Quality Meats were the source of Dutch braadworst and Venison Rost. Tragically the organisers had left these in Wellington and so only inferior snarlers were served. However being the resourceful type I am, I did have a Plan B. A group of us were staying in a bach at Mangatoetoe, and I supplied the sausages for Saturday night’s dinner - Dutch braadworst, kabonosy and chorizo criollo. Two of the people staying had entered the Undulator but pulled out due to injury. They prepared a sumptuous feast for the tired runners.

The beer I washed this down with was a ParrotDog Bloodhound. This is full bodied red coloured malty beer. It is slightly bitter and has a hoppy taste. It was an enjoyable way to relax with friends at the end of a hard rugged day in the hills. Repartee resounded as we talked and told stories about the day, and planned for future runs and adventures.

So I had completed the Undulator, I am not sure if I was weak on the course or not, all I know was that I was very pleased to cross the finish line.

Links to other parts of this series.

Brat in a Burger - Wellington on a Plate

Brat in a Burger – Wellington on a Plate

Today we went to Café L’affare for lunch with my wife and one of our sons. This was not a random visit as I wanted to sample their entry in the burger competition as part of Wellington on a Plate. This is a food festival where restaurants, café, breweries, and food producers show off the best of their products.

Café L’affare was very busy and bustling as they handled the end of the Sunday lunch rush. Sausage Boy and I ordered the burger, while my wife ordered chorizo with sautéed potato, rocket and poached eggs. Café L’affare obviously know quality sausages. The chorizo used in this dish is the Argentinian chorizo criollo from Park Avenue, see link. This dish looked appealing and my wife considered it tasted even better. The chorizo is excellent, the potatoes and eggs made for a great lunch dish on a chilly Wellington day. I did have a couple of pieces of the chorizo and recognised the taste of one of my favourite snarlers.

 

The burger was described on the menu as: Park Avenue Quality Meats venison bratwurst with Parrot Dog IPA infused mustard, braised onions, slaw, and Kapiti smoked Havarti on an Arobake bun with caraway salt dusted fries.

 

I really enjoyed the burger and so did Sausage Boy. The sausage used in the burger is a great one, see link. This sausage is described as venison, it is a 50% pork and 50% venison sausage, I consider this reduces the gaminess of the venison and puts more sweetness into the sausage filling. At Park Avenue these sausages sell as venison rost bratwurst. Rost is a German word that means “rust” in English. The paprika that is added to the sausage is the inspiration for the rost name.

The burger is constructed by heating the cheese on the bottom bun, the sausage is then coiled over the cheese, mustard, braised onions and slaw are put on top of the sausage. The bun is placed on top with a skewer that has a gherkin at the top placed through the burger.   

 

This is a great burger. The sausage has a mild paprika taste which is complemented by the smokiness of the cheese. The hops of the Parrot Dog IPA infused the mustard and I enjoyed the flavour of onions. The slaw adds texture and a few vitamins to the burger. This burger works through a combination of flavours that are smoky, hoppy and spicy. They combine to form an excellently balanced burger. Well done to Café L’affare for a very enjoyable lunch meal. I would recommend a visit to College St, and either of these two dishes would make for a great brunch or lunch.

We have tried to bring our kids up with reasonable table etiquette and manners. However these pictures of Sausage Boy’s plate and my own may be indication that more work is required.

 

 

 

Paua Fritters and Chorizo

Paua Fritters with Chorizo

A work colleague gave me a couple of paua (abalone) at work today. These are a large shellfish. The flesh is black and can be tough if not prepared and cooked correctly. These paua were in the sea yesterday. You used to be able to get a decent feed of paua in quite a few places around Wellington’s rocky coast but over the last few decades the number and size of paua has declined.

 

 

I came home and made some fritters for dinner. I sliced the paua thinly, and put the slices into a food processer. This minced the paua. If you do this, do not do it for too long, you do not want to end up with paua goo. This makes for a sloppy, very moist fritter. I added some cooked onion, flour, baking powder, and eggs to the minced paua. I mixed the mixture in the bowl and then cooked the fritters in a pan.

 

 

My fritter philosophy is to have a good ratio of fritter filling to fritter binding. The taste of the fritter filling must be the dominant flavour. My standard fritters are paua, corn or whitebait fritters. The key element is not to use too much flour. No recipe is used, I do it by feel and look.

 

 

So the paua fritters were cooked and eaten by an appreciative family. As I only had two paua to make fritters from, it made nine fritters. I also served some Sremska, see link, or chorizo criollo, see link. The family made appreciative comments about both the fritters and sausages.

A nice dinner ‘snack’. Thanks to the work colleague for the unexpected treat.

The Sausage Gods lurk in the Tararuas

The Sausage Gods lurk in the Tararuas

I spent an enjoyable time recently in the Tararuas. I enjoy getting away from it all, being the hills and contemplating sausages and life. Having found a couple of sausages left in Cone Hut a few weeks ago I wondered if the sausage gods of the hills would leave sausages for hungry trampers in the huts in which I intended to stay on this adventure.

My trip route went from the Holdsworth road end, over Mt Holdsworth, and then dropped to Mid Waiohine Hut, up the steep ascent to Aokaparangi and along the main ridge to Maungahuka. I them dropped down from the main ridge and went over Concertina Knob and a steep descent into Neill Forks which led, you guessed it, to a steep ascent onto Cone Ridge, and onto Totara Flats. Then it was back to the Holdsworth road end.

On the first day the wind was up and the cloud was down. At Powell Hut I tried to go high when I first arrived. The wind was extremely strong and it would blow you over leaving you crawling along the ground if you wanted to proceed – not exactly optimal tramping weather. After more than three hours of waiting for the forecasted decline in the gale, an English tramper and I decided to attempt going over the summit of Mt Holdsworth. It was hard going and at one point we decided that if it got any worse we would turn back. However we persevered and were soon over the top of Holdsworth and onto the next peak Isabelle.

As we battled the conditions on the way down from Isabelle, the wind temporarily abated, the cloud cleared and you could see the rich verdant bush on the precipitous slopes of the upper Waiohine Gorge. The deep green contrasted to the opaque clouds. The silence that was present compared with the roar of the wind that had previously been there made for a magic moment. It is at times like this you feel fantastic and admire the grandeur of nature. Then the cloud rolled back in and the roar of the wind resumed.

The two of us arrived at the Mid Waiohine Hut near nightfall and we were pleased to find a couple of kabonosy were left at the hut. It was the second discovery of the day as I had also I sighted a Dutch braadworst at Powell Hut. It was clear that we were in the presence of the seldom sighted "sausage gods."

 

Powell Hut

 

Dutch braadworst at Powell

 

The kabonosy sausage is ideal for tramping, smoked and nicely flavoured. It went down well with all the people in the hut. By contrast the Dutch braadworst is a meaty sausage that appeals to those who prefer a straight meat taste, see link. For a review of kabonosy, see link.

Since August 2013 Mid Waiohine hut has only been stayed in for seven nights. It is a tired hut, but one that welcomes visitors. It but a bit off the beaten track and you have to keen to get into this part of the hills.

 

Mid Waiohine Hut

 

Kabonosy at Mid Waiohine

 

The Waiohine River

 

The climb up to Aokaparangi was steep, around 900m of vertical ascent. I was pleased to get the top. It was warm day and the sweat was pouring. I had a relatively small drink bottle of about 750ml of water and with a few hours more along the ridge including lots more climbing, the water had to be rationed and savoured. The English tramper and I talked about our desire for water, and there were more gnarly knolls and peaks to be climbed as we traversed south down the main ridge.

 

The view to Aokaparangi (marked with arrow) from Maungahuka

Fortunately the sausage gods had also visited Maungahuka Hut. The English tramper said he appreciated quality sausages as he headed off to Neill Forks, hoping to get there before night fell. He planned to add his sausages to his diet of pasta and sardines and was grateful for the sausages that would help to sustain him and offer variety to his diet.

 

Maungahuka Hut

 

Kabonosy and chorizo criollo at Maungahuka

The ridge south from Maungahuka

I spent the night alone in the solitude of Maungahika Hut. The moon shone through the windows and it was a very peaceful environment. It was easy to see why the sausage gods favoured this place as a hideaway. While in the hut there is no escaping the realisation that the weather in this area can be brutal and ferocious. The hut has steel guy ropes from each corner anchoring the hut into the ground. This added reinforcement supports the hut when the wind does blow.

 

Neill Forks Hut

 



Dutch braadworst and chorizo criollo

 

The Hector River just below Neill Forks

 

From Maungahuka it was down to Neill Forks Hut. Woo hoo! More cause for celebration. The sausage gods had left a chorizo criollo and half a Dutch braadworst, in Neill Forks hut to urge me forward to Totara Flats Hut for the night. When I arrived there were more chorizo criollo awaiting me.

 

Totara Flats Hut

 

Chorizo criollo at Totara Flats

Sadly, the chorizo criollo did not taste quite as I had expected. They lacked the complexity of flavour that I enjoy savouring which I usually partake in my favourite sausage. I did have high expectations but sadly these were not fulfilled on this occasion. This sausage is still a quality sausage, however my recommendation for best eating is to savour it hot, or from post cooking storage in a fridge. See link for a review.

Overnight the wind had risen again and was venting its force at Totara Flats. Roaring down the valley I got very little sleep as the sound of the wind buffeted the hut. However I was pleased I was not at Maungahuka hut where the wind would have been twice as strong on the tops.

As I headed to the road end I was walking down the Gentle Annie track close to my destination, I heard a voice behind me. It was a runner who wished to pass. He gave me a bit of fright. It was the first person I had seen in two days and I knew I was back close to society and away from the mysterious, but generous, sausage gods.

Thanks to the sausage gods for supplying sausages in each hut. A pleasant trip with some great sausages.

Replete on Christmas day

Replete on Christmas Day

Our whanau gathered at our house for Christmas lunch. We had thought that the barbecue may be in the garage due to the inclement weather that was forecast but that was not to be. Instead the weather was pleasant, around twenty-two degrees, fine and not very windy, just great for the barbecue. The weather forecasters got it wrong. This resulted in a bit of gip for the meteorologist brother in law.

I had woken a little tired, as the previous evening we had gone to friends for a Christmas Eve dinner. Great fun, twenty of us around a double table as some local families celebrated the year. I offered to supply sausages, but our host declined as she had made beef Wellington for all those present. The music reflected the 1980’s, interspersed with the Russian national anthem and well known Christmas songs. We got home after midnight, and although we didn’t see Santa in his sleigh delivering presents, we kept a watchful eye out for any stray reindeer.

As lunch approached the barbecue was fired up, I cooked a butterflied leg of lamb, and three snarlers, Island Bay chicken sausages, Mariano’s Spanish Foods butifarra, see link, along with my personal favourites chorizo coriollo from Park Avenue Quality Meats, see link.

 

 

The chicken sausages from Island Bay Butchery are very good. They are a very high quality chicken sausage. To achieve this you need to use real chicken meat. These sausages use corn fed chicken breast and thigh meat. Too many poor quality chicken sausages omit the use of quality chicken meat. If you do use quality ingredients this is reflected in the superior taste of the cooked product.

 

The chicken sausage is a thin sausage, it is finely ground, and you can see small lumps of meat within the finer ground inner of the sausage. These cook well and are appreciated by a wide range of sausage eaters. These sausages taste of chicken, they also have a flavour of tarragon, and you can see the flecks of tarragon that is used to augment the chicken flavour. I consider these sausages to be the best chicken sausages you can purchase in Wellington. They will appeal to a very wide spectrum of people including those who may normally refrain from eating sausages.

 

 

The table had ample food as is traditional at Christmas gatherings - three varieties of sausage, barbecued lamb, a salmon cooked with red onion, garlic, rosemary, lemon and seasonings, a couple of salads, potatoes and asparagus. A wide array of desserts followed the main course. A hearty Christmas lunch for the whanau with plenty left over to eat and share in the days ahead.

 

 

Christmas is also a time to reflect on life and also to remember that not everyone in our society is as fortunate as our family. Some in our society are doing it tough. As a fortunate member of society we need to contribute towards the welfare of others.

Everyone present had satisfied taste buds and full belly. We then adjourned down to the park to play a game of cricket. The kids have a wide range of skills, and the adults also had a variety of cricketing ability. I managed to play the ball onto the stumps at both my turns of bat. The aim was the big slog, the result a nick onto the stumps and out. The children, nieces and nephews found this wildly amusing.

At the end of the day there was contentment, fine weather, fine food, fine company and of course even finer sausages. All three are beauties that I would highly recommend.

Merry Christmas to all – I hope your table and homes were similarly laden with the pleasures of life.

Sausage selection for Christmas dinner.

Sausage selection for Christmas dinner.

Christmas is a time for whanau. This year our family is hosting Christmas lunch at our place. It will be the usual barbecue based meal with a wide assortment of foods that will be enjoyed by all the whanau. You probably won’t be surprised that for many years I have been the provider of sausages.

Some of my family are not keen on the spicier variety of sausages, in spite of my best efforts over a number of years to educate them on the finer points of sausage cuisine. So this year’s selection tries to cater to all tastes.

I have chosen Island Bay Butcher’s chicken sausages, as these are a genuine crowd pleaser. As Sausage Boy’s sister said, "Everyone likes chicken sausages and Island Bay makes the best." I have also selected Butifarra from Mariano’s Spanish Goods in Christchurch, link. The highlight for me will be chorizo coriollo from Park Avenue Quality Meats, link.

So I am looking forward to an enjoyable Christmas Day. Hopefully the weather will be good, the barbecue will be fired up and everybody will have a good time, at your house as well as mine.

Don's Sausage Awards 2013

Don's Sausage Awards 2013

A wide range of people who know I pen this sausage blog ask me, "What is your favourite sausage?" My response is, "That is like asking an oenophile what is their favourite wine? There are sausages for all occasions, and for all taste preferences. It is not a simple response. It all depends on what you are after.

Today a vegetarian work colleague asked me to recommend sausages for the barbie over the Christmas season. She wanted to know what to buy for her carnivorous family.

I thought I might make a few recommendations. So with a drum roll, flashing lights and rolling out the red carpet here are the Sausage Awards for 2013….

 

A plain meat sausage:

Winner: Dutch Braadworst – Park Avenue Quality Meats link

Runner Up – Harmony Wild Boar Sausage – Moore Wilsons link

A sausage with a little bit of spice and smokiness

Kabonosy – Park Avenue Quality Meats link

A sausage with more spice

Chorizo Coriollo – Park Avenue Quality Meats link

 

Hot and spicy

Sremska – Park Avenue Quality Meats link

A little bit of flavour

Pork and Fennel – Island Bay Butchery link

Chicken Sausage

Chicken Sausage – Island Bay Butchery 

I have just realised I have never reviewed this sausages. No review, but they are best chicken sausages in Wellington.
I have now added a review link

Handmade Gourmet

Butifarra – made by Mariano's Spanish Goods, sold by Moore Wilsons link

 

Pre cooked barbecue sausage

Turingia Bratwurst – Prestons Master Butchers link

Enjoy the barbies over summer. You will only know that your preference is by trying a wide variety and savouring the taste of quality sausages.

 

And for those of you still reading....

My favourite sausage in December 2013 is Chorizo Criollo.

Meri Kerihimete

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

 

The Smallest Sausage Factory in Wellington

The Smallest Sausage Factory in Wellington

Today I went to the Gipps St Butchers in Karori to buy some sausages. The Gipps St Butchery has a very good reputation for the quality of the meat it sells. Although we do not live in Karori, if you want a particular cut of meat it is well worth the extra travel knowing you will receive a quality product and great service.

 

In winter we often cook a brisket and beetroot soup. It is hearty and filling. This is colloquially known in our family as “pizzle soup.” It's a long story how it got this name, however if you are unsure of the word pizzle, it would be best to look it up in a quality dictionary. Brisket is not sold in the supermarket meat section, so I sourced this from Gipp St. The butcher asked me if I was going to feed it to the pets. I told him what I was going to cook and he was quite interested, and cut the meat from a carcass he had out the back of the butcher’s shop. This is great, friendly service. Brisket is an underappreciated cut of the meat, and makes great eating especially during the colder months.

Anyway to get to the point of the posting, today at Gipp St I bought some German Bratwurst and Cumberland Sausages. Bill, the butcher, told me they make all the sausages on site, in the smallest sausage factory in Wellington. He motioned to the back of the shop, indicating where the sausages were made.

 

Tonight for dinner I cooked the Cumberland sausages from Gipp St, along with some Chorizo Criollo, from Park Avenue. These were cooked on the barbecue. I oven roasted baby potatoes, zucchini, onion and yellow capsicum, and boiled some broccoli.

 

It was a very pleasant summer meal.

The Cumberland sausage was good. It is a coarse sausage that is easy to eat. It has a soft texture. The flavour is meaty and nice. It is a plain sausage that would appeal to a wide section of population. Kids would be very keen on these, as I am assured my nieces are – they feast on them regularly. They make for good eating.

 

 

Cost per kilo: $16.95

The Chorizo Criollo has previous been reviewed on 9 January 2013. The family liked these sausages and both the boys, who are not keen on sausages at the spicier end of the spectrum, enjoyed eating them.  

 

Before Cooking

 

 

                                                              After cooking

Other reviews from Gipps St Butchery to follow.

And for those who want the recipe for Pizzle Soup:

Serves 6-8

This is a one pot meal, serve with toast, or bread.

 

450g of beef brisket

2 litres of water

1.5 l of beef stock

30g unsalted butter

½ onion, finely diced

700g beetroot (peeled and cut into 5cm long strips and 5mm thick)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1.5 litres reserved liquid from cooking bisket

¼ cabbage, finely shredded

110g ham (this is optional)

4 parsley stalks

4 bay leaves

2 tablespoons chives, finely sliced

 

To cook the brisket: place the brisket into medium size pot with water and beef stock, place on high heat. Bring to boil and remove the scum from the surface. Reduce heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 4 hours, or until the brisket is very tender and beginning to fall apart. You may need to add more water to keep the brisket covered while cooking.

Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Cool the brisket and cut into 1cm pieces.

Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or till onion is soft but not browned.

Add beetroot, vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 100ml of the reserved brisket cooking liquid.

Cover with a lid and simmer for 50 minutes, or until the beetroot is tender.

Tie the parsley stalks and bay leaves together and add to the saucepan with the remaining 1.4 litres of reserved brisket cooking liquid plus the cabbage, ham and brisket.

Place over a medium heat and bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.