(07-30-2014 02:40 PM)WNCOrange Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 02:26 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  Speaking of sausage, one of the things the early German settlers to central SC brought with them was the skill of sausage making. One of the best evolutions of this skill was something unique to Central SC, primarily the area from what is now Orangeburg up through Newberry over to Winnsboro and back down, is their version of onion sausage. Unlike onion sausage from other parts of the country that typically add larger raw chunks of onion to their sausage causing the onion to overpower the other spices typically the onion used here is either diced and cooked before being added to the mixture, or is dehydrated onion powder. It adds a more subtle onion taste that is far more appealing even to people who hate onions (like me). Like anything else each family and.or area has a slightly different twist, but several local sausage makers of note are Lee's and Neese's out of Orangeburg, Rhoten's and Caughman's in Lexington, Cone's in Ridge Springs, and Count's in Prosperity. Most of the time you can find at least one of these companies products in local grocery stores with the exception of Rhoten's, who does sell online as well as at their old store location in downtown Lexington. Most local butchers in the area make a passable version, but the companies listed are some of the best. Onion sausage can be bought in bulk, but is best when it's in a natural casing link. It's wonderful fried, is fine on a bun, but is at it's best when grilled alongside a nice cut of steak.

Onion sausage is the key component in a classic SC breakfast known by many names now but originally known as a "Dixiecrat". Nothing more than a piece of fried link onion sausage wrapped in a piece of plain white bread slathered with good old yellow mustard, it is surprisingly good. Legend has it one of the cafes around the State House in Columbia started offering it for the politicians and aides working in SC government in the 40's and 50's, and since the overwhelming majority of them were democrats at the time a name was born. Not as common anymore, every now and then you'll find an old style cafe that offers this "wrap" on the menu, usually for around a dollar. Obviously because of their simplicity they are most often made todat at home or in hunt and fish camps.

Any of those old style cafes in the Greenville/Spartanburg area?

Not sure. If so it probably will not be a true Dixiecrat because it's really hard to find the right style sausage in the Upstate. The primarily German settlements in SC were more in the midlands over towards the Savannah River in what is now Aiken & Edgefield counties.


Here is a map showing the colonial townships and their predominant settlers. Of course as the townships grew more English settlers moved in from the coast. If you locate the Congaree Township on the map, the area north of on the map encompassing both Richland and Lexington Counties and halfway into Newberry and Fairfield Counties is the part of the state known as the Dutch Fork region because of the German settlers. Congaree Township was later renamed Saxe-Gotha to honor the region of Germany most of the settlers came from. That is the home of mustard based BBQ sauce and onion sausage of the type I described.

(07-30-2014 01:51 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 01:31 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 12:44 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Italian sausage is the best in the NY/NJ area. I love hot Italian Sausage with peppers/onions on a roll.

Hot sausage is my favorite when you're eating whole patties or links. But I love it when you're making it for a big crowd to take somewhere and you chop the links into small pieces and mix the hot and sweet together too.

We have grilled Italian Sausages at Louisville Tailgates since the 1970s, along with sauteed bell peppers and onions in butter. Add mustard and hotdog buns, a fine meal!

Sauteeing them in butter? Blasphemy I tell you! That being said it sounds tasty and almost an italian twist on making sauerkraut and sauteed onions for brats.

If I'm making a big batch for a bbq or something I'll use about 90% canola oil and 10% olive oil for the peppers and onions. Too expensive to use all olive oil. If I'm just making it for dinner I'll do 50/50 canola and olive. Some people like to add tomatoes or tomato sauce to the peppers and onions. I'm not one of those people, just some tiny diced up garlic cloves and the peppers and onions. And we'll use club rolls, italian bread, torpedo/sub/hoagie/hero rolls to serve it on. No mustard or ketchup just sausage, peppers, onions and bread. Sometimes for a heartier meal in the late fall/winter we'll put crispy, roasted potatoes in the sandwiches too.

(07-30-2014 04:09 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 01:51 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 01:31 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 12:44 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Italian sausage is the best in the NY/NJ area. I love hot Italian Sausage with peppers/onions on a roll.

Hot sausage is my favorite when you're eating whole patties or links. But I love it when you're making it for a big crowd to take somewhere and you chop the links into small pieces and mix the hot and sweet together too.

We have grilled Italian Sausages at Louisville Tailgates since the 1970s, along with sauteed bell peppers and onions in butter. Add mustard and hotdog buns, a fine meal!

Sauteeing them in butter? Blasphemy I tell you! That being said it sounds tasty and almost an italian twist on making sauerkraut and sauteed onions for brats.

If I'm making a big batch for a bbq or something I'll use about 90% canola oil and 10% olive oil for the peppers and onions. Too expensive to use all olive oil. If I'm just making it for dinner I'll do 50/50 canola and olive. Some people like to add tomatoes or tomato sauce to the peppers and onions. I'm not one of those people, just some tiny diced up garlic cloves and the peppers and onions. And we'll use club rolls, italian bread, torpedo/sub/hoagie/hero rolls to serve it on. No mustard or ketchup just sausage, peppers, onions and bread. Sometimes for a heartier meal in the late fall/winter we'll put crispy, roasted potatoes in the sandwiches too.

Not the sausage, just the onions and peppers are sauteed in butter or olive oil. We also cook sauerkraut.

If you ever come up to Syracuse...you should try Salt Potatoes. They are a staple around Central NY especially during the warm weather.

You can actually make them at home...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_potatoes



BTW, you can get them at Dinosaur Barbcue

(07-30-2014 04:44 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  If you ever come up to Syracuse...you should try Salt Potatoes. They are a staple around Central NY especially during the warm weather.

You can actually make them at home...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_potatoes



BTW, you can get them at Dinosaur Barbcue

I've actually had them at Dino in Harlem a couple of times and I have to say they're quite good. So consider this an endorsement from someone not native to Central NY.

Just putting in my two cents...

In South Florida, it has to be the Cuban sandwich. I am a sucker for them and I could probably eat two or three at a time. Just thinking about it is making me hungry. They're definitely a specialty and they are so so delicious.

(07-30-2014 04:44 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  If you ever come up to Syracuse...you should try Salt Potatoes. They are a staple around Central NY especially during the warm weather.

You can actually make them at home...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_potatoes



BTW, you can get them at Dinosaur Barbcue

I second this. They are also good cold and/or unbuttered, unlike regular boiled new potatoes.

I've never been to Dinosaur Barbecue, but I've made them at home. The trick is to use enough salt. If you don't see salt crystals floating in the boiling water, you haven't used enough salt, go ahead and pour some more in until you do.

If you live near a Wegman's they sell kits with the new potatoes and almost just the right amount of salt. A little more wouldn't hurt, though.

Also not native to New York, married into it.

Unfortunately, it is really hard to do Salt Potatoes at a tailgate....

(07-30-2014 11:24 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Unfortunately, it is really hard to do Salt Potatoes at a tailgate....

You could cook them in advance and bring them in some kind of container. You can't make barbecue at a tailgate either, and that's obviously the best tailgating food.

This thread makes it easy for me to see why I am one of the oldest people on this forum. With diets like these, few people can make it past fifty before their heart seizes up.

(07-31-2014 11:56 AM)ken d Wrote:  This thread makes it easy for me to see why I am one of the oldest people on this forum. With diets like these, few people can make it past fifty before their heart seizes up.

6 or 7 times a year tailgating will not kill you!