Sausage Recipe - Grilled Sausage Sandwiches

This particular sausage recipe is perfect for a cookout ... savoury, perfectly grilled sausages are combined with a variety of delicious toppings on a fresh, crusty roll to make a delicious BBQ sandwich.

What You Need

• 4 fresh rolls or buns, or 8 slices of rye bread (or other dense bread)
• 4 sausages - any type you like (we like a spicy pork sausage)
• 2 or 3 large white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• Olive oil for cooking
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Dijon mustard for spread
• Butter for spread (warm to room temperature for easier spreading)
• 4 slices of Gruyere cheese

Grilling the Sausages

The key to wonderfully juicy sausages is to BBQ them gently and at low heat. Higher heat can cause the sausage casing to split open, leaking juices, so that the sausage ends up dry.

Set up your barbecue for indirect heat. Grease the pre-heated cooking grate thoroughly. For the first couple of minutes, BBQ the sausages at high heat just to sear the outside and give it some color. Then lower the heat to low (medium-low at the hottest if you want to shave off a few minutes of cooking time). Keep the lid of the BBQ closed to keep moisture inside. Depending on the size of the sausage, it could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to cook through.

If you're in more of a hurry, you can also poach the sausages first. Heat up a pot of water to just below a simmer (don't bring it to a boil - boiling might cause the sausage casing to rupture). For extra flavor, use half water and half beer (really!). Then add the sausages and cook for 7-9 minutes just until the sausage skin starts to tighten. Remove and finish the sausages on the BBQ at medium-low heat.

Assembling the Sandwich

Caramelize the Onions First

Add some olive oil to a heavy pan and heat over medium-high heat. The oil should be hot. Dump in the onions, stir to coat with oil, and saute for about 7-10 minutes, until they're softened, stirring occasionally. If you notice that the onions appear to be drying out, lower the heat. Now sprinkle with salt & pepper if you want, then stir in the red wine vinegar and the brown sugar, again making sure the onions are all coated. If the mixture looks dry at this point, you can add a tablespoon of water. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the onions for another 30 minutes or so. Stir them every so often to make sure they don't burn (you'll probably need to stir them more often as they caramelize). Cook until they're a rich, deep brown in color and very tender.

Note, you can caramlize the onions several hours ahead if you like, or even the night before. Just heat them up again before using.

Butter the Rolls

Butter the rolls and then briefly place them butter-side-down on the barbecue to melt the butter and crisp them up a little.

Assemble the Sandwich

Spread the rolls with the Dijon mustard, put in a sausage, top with caramelized onions, and then a slice of Gruyere. Return assembled sandwich to the barbecue for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately for a hot & tasty casual meal.

This barbecued sausage recipe is easy to make your own - add spreads and toppings to your sandwich however you like, and use any type of sausage you like (pork, chicken apple, turkey...). You can find other BBQ pork recipes throughout our website, or check out side dishes for BBQ to go with your meal.