Homemade Corned Beef Sausage with Warm Cabbage Salad
A sophisticated take on traditional Irish flavors featuring house-made corned beef sausages paired with a warm, tangy cabbage salad and smoky carrot aioli. The two-day process involves marinating seasoned pork and corned beef overnight, then grinding and stuffing into casings for a uniquely textured sausage. The warm cabbage salad provides a bright counterpoint with its vinegar-based dressing, while the smoked carrot aioli adds an unexpected smoky sweetness. Perfect for special occasions or when you want to showcase charcuterie skills, this dish the classic corned beef and cabbage combination into restaurant-quality fare.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound pork butt, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ pound pork fatback, cut into 1-inch chunksbacon fat1:1
reduces richness slightly
- 1 pound lean corned beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway seed
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ¼ cup shallots
- ¼ cup Irish stoutdark beer1:1
similar flavor profile
- medium natural sausage casingscollagen casings1:1
easier to work with
- ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
- ½ cup blended oil
- salt
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 medium Napa cabbage, shreddedgreen cabbage1:1
slightly stronger flavor
- ¼ cup carrots, shredded
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 potato bunsbrioche buns1:1
richer flavor
Instructions
- 1
Toss pork butt, fatback, and corned beef with mustard, salt, allspice, brown sugar, black pepper, and caraway seed
- 2
Refrigerate seasoned meat mixture overnight
- 3
Sauté garlic and shallots in oil over medium heat for 2 minutes
- 4
Deglaze pan with stout and cook additional 2 minutes
- 5
Cool sautéed mixture and refrigerate overnight
- 6
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and chill grinding tools
- 7
Set bowl of ice under grinding bowl
- 8
Grind chilled meat mixture into top bowl
- 9
Whip ground meat with garlic-shallot mixture using stand mixer for 1 minute
- 10
Stuff mixture into sausage casings using sausage piper
- 11
Bake sausages until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees
- 12
Whisk together rice wine vinegar, cracked pepper, and mustard for vinaigrette
- 13
Slowly drizzle in blended oil while whisking until combined
- 14
Season vinaigrette with salt and additional pepper
- 15
Sauté sliced shallots and garlic until soft
- 16
Add shredded cabbage and cook until soft
- 17
Toss cooked cabbage with vinaigrette and season
- 18
Smoke shredded carrots for 1 hour at 275 degrees
- 19
Cool smoked carrots completely
- 20
Combine egg yolks, rice wine vinegar, salt, and smoked carrots in food processor
- 21
Slowly add blended oil while machine runs until aioli comes together
- 22
Warm buns in oven at 250 degrees for 1 to 2 minutes
- 23
Coat inside of each bun with smoked carrot aioli
- 24
Add hot corned beef sausage and top with warm cabbage salad
Tips
Keep all grinding equipment chilled for best sausage texture and prevent fat from smearing during grinding process.
If you don't have a smoker, sauté carrots with liquid smoke or smoked salt for similar flavor in the aioli.
Don't over-whip the sausage mixture as this can create a tough, dense texture in the final product.
Good to Know
Refrigerate assembled sandwiches up to 2 days. Store components separately for best quality - sausages keep 3-4 days, aioli 1 week.
Complete sausage preparation through cooking up to 2 days ahead. Make aioli up to 3 days ahead. Prepare cabbage salad day of serving.
Serve immediately while sausages are hot and cabbage salad is warm for best texture contrast.
Common Mistakes
Don't over-whip sausage mixture to avoid dense, tough texture
Keep all grinding equipment cold to prevent fat smearing
Don't skip overnight marinating for proper flavor development
Substitutions
reduces richness slightly
similar flavor profile
easier to work with
slightly stronger flavor
FAQ
Can I make this without a sausage grinder?
Yes, ask your butcher to grind the seasoned meat mixture, or use a food processor in small batches, pulsing to avoid over-processing.
What if I don't have natural casings?
Form the mixture into patties and pan-fry as sausage patties, or use collagen casings which are easier to handle than natural ones.
How long will the finished sausages keep?
Cooked sausages will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight packaging.