Right off the bat, even before trying them, I liked these better than the McCormick’s Grill Mates sausages I looked at this week (scroll down to next story). Reason? First two ingredients are pork and beef, and not a mechanically separated poultry bit in sight. Also? No “corn syrup solids.” Sam’s Choice Original Smoked Sausages come in a 14 ounce package, four ‘larger’ size links, and retail for about three and a half bucks.
According to the USDA establishment number, (4800), they are made for WalMart/Sams by Eddy Packing, Inc., of Yoakum, TX. Eddy has been around since the early 50s, and now operate a 300,000 square foot; the company is now in the hands of private equity investors, and cranks out processed proteins of beef, pork, turkey and chicken. Eddy sells its own retail product under the “Eddy” and “Yoakum” brnads. (Pics of the plant below). Yoakum is about 20 miles south of I-10, about midway between Houston and San Antonio.
As these are “smoked,” they are fully cooked, and only require heating, if that’s how you prefer your sausages. I lightly pan fried. This is a very mild sausage, suitable for a large bun sandwich, as an entree, or as a breakfast meat. The flavor/aroma of smoke is slight. Consumers will find it more flavorful as bits of fat, which contributes to flavor, are evident in the mix. In short, I like it.
In the skillet
Cross section
Eddy Packing, Yoakum, TX
Eddy Packing, Yoakum, TX
Sams Choice Original Smoked Sausages Review