Sometimes I wish there was an illustrated dictionary of food. There would be a photo, a list of ingredients, and a description of how the product is supposed to taste and what the texture should be. If there was, beside the entry for “Italian Sausage” would be the hand-stuffed sausages at Meeske’s and Haybeck’s butcher shops in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Just compare this list of ingredients to any other sausage on the market. Ready?
- pork
- water
- salt
- paprika
- garlic
- fennel
What? No nitrates? Celery juice? BHT? Corn syrup? Artificial flavors? “Natural” smoke flavor? Vegetable protein?
Nope.
What does it taste like? Pork. Seasoned pork. Period. A hint of the paprika, garlic and fennel comes through, as it should, giving this sausage a little kick; it’s a perfect grind, not too coarse, not so fine that it resembles an emulsified product.
The shops have every type of meat/protein product you can imagine, in any quantity you desire. Whether you want a single weenie , a whole roast pig, or a holiday meal to take home and heat up, these are they guys in the NW burbs. I’m unclear how the two shops are affiliated, and wasn’t able to find out online. Doesn’t really matter tho, does it?
Fresh Sausage in Pack
Fresh Italian Sausage
Beautiful
Meeskes