What Is Summer sausage and How Can I Use It?
Summer sausage is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 3 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- Semi-dry cured sausage, fermented for a tangy bite, then smoked and dried until shelf-stable.
- Fully cured and ready to eat cold; a snack-board staple with cheese, crackers, and mustard.
- Swap with cervelat or mild salami; kielbasa works cooked, plus vinegar or mustard for the missing tang.
What is summer sausage?
Summer sausage is a semi-dry, cured sausage with a firm slice and a tangy bite. It is made from beef or pork, or a blend of the two, fermented with a starter culture that gives it that sour edge, then smoked and dried until shelf-stable.
The name is a holdover from the days before refrigeration. The curing let it keep through warm months without spoiling.
It is fully cured and ready to eat straight from the package, no cooking required. Most people meet it cold and sliced, a staple of snack boards and holiday gift baskets, paired with cheese, crackers, and a sharp mustard.
Using and Swapping
Slice it thin against the firm grain for boards, or cube it into soups and stews where it holds its shape and adds smoky, tangy depth, as in Sausage-Leek Soup and Pancho's Beef Stick Limas.
It also crisps nicely. A few minutes in a hot pan renders the edges and deepens the flavor for a Grilled Italian Sandwich or a breakfast hash.
For a swap, reach for another semi-dry cured sausage like cervelat or a mild salami. Kielbasa works in cooked dishes, though it lacks summer sausage's fermented tang, so a squeeze of vinegar or mustard helps close the gap.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 夏天香肠
- British (UK) term
- Summer sausage
- en français
- Saucisson
- en español
- salchicha de verano
Recipes using summer sausage
There are 3 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Sausage-Leek Soup
Creamy sausage leek soup pureed smooth with smoked summer sausage, fresh dill, chicken broth, cream, and Parmesan. A rich, velvety bowl with smoky depth and a cheesy finish.
Grilled Italian Sandwich
Grilled Italian sandwich layered with salami, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and provolone on crusty bread with olive mayonnaise and Dijon. A hot pressed masterpiece.
Pancho's Beef Stick Limas
Beef stick lima bean casserole with summer sausage, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, and melted cheddar cheese baked low and slow. Dried limas soaked overnight, simmered, then baked for 2 hours in a spiced tomato sauce.
