Butcher’s Sausage with Peppers and Onions

When we lived in Frankfurt, there was a butcher located on the corner of our street where we would go and buy fresh meats for dinner. Here in Colorado, we have to go a little bit further to get to a butcher, but it is well worth the effort. Everyone talks about farm to table cooking, but for home-cooks it isn’t always as easy. We also go to a local farmer’s market every weekend to get fresh vegetables. This is a meal that definitely reminded us of Germany, not just because of the sausage, but also because of using the fresh ingredients with no preservatives. Butcher’s sausage is a sausage that is made up of meat scraps that the butcher saves as they trim up different cuts of meat. Our sausage had pork, beef, duck pate, chicken liver, and chicken. It sounds like a crazy combination, but it tasted really good. Obviously, this recipe works well with bratwurst, beef sausage, or almost any type of sausage. You can also use green pepper if you’d like, but red and orange peppers are a little sweeter. Because the sausage has a lot of seasonings inside of it, there isn’t any reason to add anything other than some salt and pepper.

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Peppers and Onion from the Farmer’s Market

INGREDIENTS

  •  Two Links of Butcher’s Sausage
  •  1 Red Pepper – sliced
  •  1 Orange Pepper – sliced
  •  1/2 Red Onion – sliced
  •  2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  •  2 Buns or Hoagie Rolls
  •  Dijon Mustard
  •  Salt and Pepper to taste
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Browned Sausage and Caramelized Vegetables

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a large skillet with the oil over medium-high heat. Be sure to slice the peppers and onion into similar size strips. Place the peppers in the pan and sauté them for about 5 to 6 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and continue to sauté until peppers and onion begin to caramelize, about another 4 to 5 minutes. Butterfly the sausage and place them into the center of the pan, moving the peppers and onion towards the edge of the pan, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until the sausage begins to brown. Spread the mustard onto the bun, place the sausage cut-side down, and cover with peppers and onion.

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Sautéing the Peppers and Onion
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Sausage and Pepper Sandwich

 

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Roasted Vegetables

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Oven Roasted Vegetables
Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Oven Roasted Vegetables

One of our favorite steak restaurants, Cowboy Star, has a butcher shop on site where they sell the same aged meats that they serve in the dining room.  We had been to the farmer’s market in the morning and had gathered up a nice variety of vegetables, so we decided to pick up a nice, thick rib eye steak and bring it home to grill.  We grilled the steak to a perfect medium rare, added some brandied mushrooms, roasted the fresh vegetables and paired it with a wonderful Pinot Noir wine.  See the recipes and cooking instructions below.

Cowboy Star Butcher Shop
Cowboy Star Butcher Shop

Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Ingredients

  • Prime Rib Eye Steak – 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a small bowl and then rub both sides of the steak with the seasoned oil.  Salt and pepper both sides of the steak and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes while it marinates.  Place the steak over direct heat on a grill that has been heated to medium-high heat.  Cook for seven to eight minutes per side for medium rare.

Marinated Rib Eye Steak
Marinated Rib Eye Steak

Sautéed  Brandy Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 8 to 10 Button Mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1/4 cup Brandy

Instructions

In a sauté pan or small frying pan, heat the pan to a medium-high heat with the butter and brandy until the liquid begins to sizzle.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and nicely caramelized.

Brandied Mushrooms
Brandied Mushrooms

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 2 Medium Zucchinis
  • 4 Medium Carrots
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Zest
  • Juice from 1/2 Lemon
  • 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme
  • 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Pineapple Sage, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the vegetables into 4 inch strips of equal thickness and place into a large plastic bag.  Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, pineapple sage, and salt and pepper to the bag.  Seal the bag and shake vigorously until the vegetables are thoroughly coated.  Heat an oven to 450 degrees and bake the vegetables for 20 to 30 minutes or until caramelized.

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