Grilled Game Sausage Crepinettes with Wilted Kale
Submitted by desertflowers
Grilled duck and pork sausage crepinettes spiced with cinnamon and cumin, wrapped in caul fat, and served over garlicky wilted kale. A rustic French charcuterie technique with bold, warming flavors.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
15 minREADY
Crepinettes are flat sausage patties wrapped in caul fat, a traditional French charcuterie technique that’s easier than stuffing casings and gives you a beautiful, lacy crust when grilled. These are made from a coarse grind of duck magret, pork shoulder, and pancetta, seasoned simply with cinnamon and cumin for a warm, aromatic profile that’s unusual and completely addictive.
The rough grind is deliberate. You want visible pieces of meat and fat, not a smooth paste. That texture gives each patty a satisfying, chunky bite. The caul fat melts during grilling, basting the sausage in rendered fat and crisping into a thin, golden web on the outside.
Wilted kale sauteed with garlic in olive oil makes the bed. It’s bitter, garlicky, and sturdy enough to stand up to the rich, fatty sausage on top.
Chef Tips
- Keep all the meat and equipment very cold while grinding. Warm fat smears instead of staying in distinct pieces, and you lose that coarse texture.
- Caul fat is available from good butchers, usually frozen. Thaw it in cold water and handle gently since it tears easily.
- Grill or broil about 4-5 minutes per side. The patties are thin, so they cook through quickly.
- Wilt the kale quickly over high heat. You want it just softened, not braised. Two to three minutes is enough.
Variations
- Swap duck for venison or wild boar for a true game sausage.
- Add a drizzle of the reduced balsamic syrup over the plated crepinettes for a sweet-tart gloss.
- Skip the caul fat and simply grill the patties uncovered. They’ll hold together but won’t have the same crispy exterior.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the broiler or grill.
Cut the duck, pork butt and pancetta into ¼ inch cubes.
Run the meat through a grinder.
The mixture should be quite rough.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat with the cinnamon, cumin and salt.
Mix very well.
Divide the mixture into 8 equal oval patties, about ½-inch thick.
Wrap each patty in caul fat.
Place the patties under the broiler or on the grill and cook through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Set aside.
In a large 12 to 14-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil until just smoking.
Add the garlic and sauté until very light brown, about 2 minutes.
Toss in the kale and sauté, stirring quickly, about 2 to 3 minutes, until just wilted but not too soft.
Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the mixture equally on 4 plates and serve.
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