Korean Style Sausage is back!

This week we brought back our Korean Gochujang sausage…. which we are now calling “Korean Style Sausage.” USDA regulations regarding labeling are funny. Not funny “hahah”, but funny “interesting.” Anyhow… This week’s Dinner For Two is an interesting confusion of multiple cultures. We are making a Banh Mi which is a Vietnamese sandwich. The term “Banh Mi” literally translates to “bread” in Vietnamese. Ultimately this came about during the time when Vietnam fell under French Colonial rule. The French brought with them many tokens of their own culture and way of life. Among them were baguettes, pâté, cold cuts, cheese, etc. The Sandwich began to take on a more local flavor as various ingredients were swapped out. The French ultimately left Vietnam but the sandwich stayed and continued to evolve into its own thing. Typically on a Banh Mi you will find pâté, pickled vegetables, hot peppers, savory meat, spicy mayo, fresh cilantro, etc.

This week we added a layer of cultural complexity to this by incorporating our Korean-inspired pork sausage. The Old Major Korean Style Sausage is a pork sausage flavored with Gochujang, a spicy fermented chili paste, along with kimchi (spicy fermented vegetables), pickled garlic, onions and spices. So now we have a sandwich that combines elements of the Vietnamese, French and Korean! There are a lot of ways this meal can throw off the less adventurous eater but this is a fantastic dinner filled with so many cool flavors.

Did you miss out on the Banh Mi Dinner For Two? Thats ok, pick up a couple packages of Old Major Korean Style Sausage and give it a try at home. This sausage is very versatile and while it may be perfectly suited for a sandwich, it is also great outside of the bun. The obvious ways you could go would be to saute and serve with fried rice, use it as an additive in stir fried veggies, or you could bake then slice and sear to caramelize before tossing in a bowl of ramen or PHO. This also goes great with eggs, include in an omelette. Or if you decide to make a sandwich, try it with pâté and pickled daikon and carrot. Don’t have the time to assemble or make all of the ingredients for a proper Banh Mi? Try it in a bun, and top it with Duke’s mayo and call it a day!