Review: Uncle Charley’s Spicy Sausage [unclecharleyssausage.com]

What better way to celebrate the holidays than by chomping down on some of Uncle Charley’s Gourmet Sausage? It almost feels like a holiday tradition. Uncle Charley himself was kind enough to send me a few packs of sausages, and I must say that I came away impressed… and pretty full. The spicy italian (with peppers and onions) grilled up perfectly, and went great with a hot marinade and mustard. The sausage itself was very rich and meaty, like a meatloaf in a tube. There was a mealy, almost earthy texture, and the flavor held hints of smoke amidst the pungent pork. I found the sweet italian sausage to be almost as good, but the lack of fire definitely made it less interesting. However, my more conservative friends liked it, so it’s really a matter of taste, not quality.

So, if you’re looking for some sausage online, Uncle Charley is a good guy to know. In the new year, we’ll be reviewing his breakfast sausage and patented “sausage burgers.”

Review: D’Artagnan Buffalo Hot Dogs

This review of D’artagnan’s gourmet buffalo franks goes along with yesterday’s review of their duck dogs. The bison used were raised in Canada on a forage diet, with no antibiotics or growth hormones. The buffalo dogs had a strong smoked flavor, and definitely tasted more like a beef hot dog than any other typical type of frank. When bit, the dogs came apart in big chunks, which I liked. One of my friends agreed with me that the buffalo dogs were much better with condiments and a beer; on their own the flavor was a bit raw. My other friend, who doesn’t like condiments, thought the buffalo dogs tasted like old socks.

Bottom line: while the flavor is not as refined, if you love a heavy, pungent stick of meat that you can load up with a ton of condiments, this could be your dream wiener.

Review: D’Artagnan Duck Dogs

A hot dog made of duck you say? Why that’s just crazy enough to work! And D’Artagnan definitely does succeed with their succulent new gourmet duck hot dogs, made with Pekin duck fed a natural diet. All three reviewers who tried these dogs loved them – they thought they were spicy and rich, like the very best hot dogs, but with a mellower texture. Eating one was sort of like biting into the inside of a chicken tender from heaven. In fact, we agreed that condiments weren’t even necessary because these dogs were so easy to eat on their own.

The only downside to these delicious babies is that, like most duck related products, they are incredibly fatty, with about 28g per link. That’s twice as much as D’Artagnan’s other gourmet dogs. Our suggestion: just don’t tell you friends at the BBQ, and let them go on enjoying the best grilled frank they’ve had in a long, long while.