Taco Pork Sausage with Jalapeno Mayonnaise and Habanero-Jack Cheese

Well Wiener readers (all 12 of you) I did double duty today

I had as my followup to Fois Gras sausage the Taco Pork. This was a very mild sausage with a pepper kick at the end. Unlike other Doug creations this didn’t to me taste like a pork taco. It was however a good flavor combination.

The Jalapeno Mayo and Habanero Cheese made a nice spicy combo to go with the subtle pork sausage.  What was an interesting surprise the sausage had cheese in it. Now when you add cheese to the inside of a sausage its a win-win. Only thing better than Cheese filled sausage would be a bacon filled sausage.

There was not a lot of complex flavors  with this particular one but it was an overall good Doug’s experience.

7.12 out of 10

Joshua

Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Sel Gris

Well Well, Here we are again. Why post a review on this sausage again you ask? Well, he changed the sauce that’s why and it makes it a totally different experience. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

What was a truffle sauce is now a truffle Aioli. Same difference to some, I noticed a total difference in tastes. This was a much more savory meal than the earlier model. Both are outstanding but I have to say I prefer this one. Other opinions may differ but I can’t be bothered to listen… to busy eating.

Joshua, out

11 out of 10

Iphone 3.0 Snafu

Lost my pics and my notes of the last two encounters. will update again Tomorrow

Veal and Parsley Weisswurst with Goose Island Pere Jacques Beer Mustard and Caerphilly Cheese

Ah, The warm weather brings along with it a thing to be reviled. That would be the line out the door at Doug’s at 11:00 am.

I did a rare thing today. I went to Hot Doug’s without checking the menu beforehand. I had to be one of the poeple staring at the wall hoping to pick the best out of greatness. And I did. I picked the Veal and Parsley Weisswurst with Goose Island Pere Jacques Beer Mustard and Caerphilly Cheese.

First let me state I am a big fan of weisswursts. They are my favorite. This was no exception. This particular type of sausage is almost creamy to begin with, but making it out of veal, butter dreams of being this smooth. To compliment the milky texture of the Weiss, there are two components. First there is the Beer Mustard. it is very potent, sometimes even too strong. There were a few bites that I just tasted mustard. The second is the Caerphilly Cheese. This is a hard cheese, tasting almost of a salty cheddar. The two combined make a nice counterbalance to the mild Weiss. A well thought out creation, even if at times the toppings made the sausage play second fiddle.

Weisswurst = 8.0

Stay tuned Wiener Fan, I will most likely be making another post this week. My counterpart returns from a sausage-free existence  in North Carolina.

Ta

J

-(in)

Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Pork Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomato Mustard and “Bacony” Shiitake Mushrooms

So after a bout of laziness I am back!

I know, calm yourselves, people will stare.

For the curious I have still eaten at Hot ‘ on a weekly basis. I have just deprived you all of my comments. But now more I tell you, so here we go.

Yesterday I had the mushroom and swiss sausage with “Bacony” Shiitake Mushrooms. The overall experience was quite good. I loved the Mushrooms. They were without a doubt my favorite part. However it helps that they were “Bacony”. I feel that you could add “Bacony” to just about any food and make it outstanding, except Ketchup, there is no polishing that turd.

The flavors melded well together. the subtle taste of the swiss cheese that was mixed into the sausage, the almost tangy sun dried tomato mustard, and of course Bacony Mushrooms to complete the ensemble. My only negative is a small one. The sausage was tough to get through, I don’t know if the encasing was a little tough or what.It took some effort to get my teeth through it.

All in all a fine meal. It was a hard decision too. there were many that I wanted to try. There may be another post this week. Who knows

I give it  a 7 out of 10. (Mostly due to the toughness of the sausage itself)

J

Out

Will start again!

Starting next week I will start reviewing again. Sorry for the delay. I have been lazy

Three-Chili Wild Boar Sausage with Chipotle Dijonnaise and Cheese-Stuffed Hot Peppers

I was beginning to worry that since writing this blog I would not experience a sausage above a 4 rating. Thank (Insert Deity of choice here) that isn’t the case.

This particular one was very spicy, it may have something to do with the three peppers and the 3 chili’s in the sausage itself. Now it was probably not as spicy as my counterparts sausage. His had side effects. This one however was the perfect amount of spiciness.

All of the ingredients have a certain amount of heat to bring to the table so when they are combined it was a wonderful compilation. The chipotle dijonnaise was a just the right flavor to combine with the peppers with the boar.

But I have to say the standout ingredient was the cheese stuffed hot peppers. Their stuffed with a Dutch style cheese. I couldn’t identify it right away about it was very similar to a muenster. But it was the standout.

All in all and wonderful experience

8.5

Calvados-Infused Smoked Duck Sausage with Blood Orange Mustard and St. Pete’s Blue Cheese drizzled with Honey

Usually when we go to Doug’s it is a grand experience where everyone in my group just raves about the sausage and we can discuss and break them down like a book or a fine wine.  Also we typically rave about the flavors, texture and the overall experience.  Today was a bit different.  The sausage that I chose today was the Calvados-Infused Smoked Duck Sausage with Blood Orange Mustard and St. Pete’s Blue Cheese drizzled with Honey.  Breaking it down I really enjoyed the sausage portion, the Blood orange mustard had a bit of a hint of citrus with the honey providing a reminder of sweetness.  Usually the cheeses served are pretty good.  Usually the blue cheeses that Doug gets are very sharp and often are the dominant flavor.  This batch however was a bit off.  It wasn’t the usually potency but rather a dry cheese and it really detracted from the flavor of the sausage.

I think that I would have really enjoyed this sausage if it was served with a different cheese, or even some of the St. Pete’s that was a bit fresher, maybe I just didn’t luck out and got a hunk off the end but in this case the cheese really ruined the party for me.

Overall since we have started this blog this has been my least favorite sausage and I’m going to give it a straight 4 out of 10 on the Doug’s scale.  Which is unfortunate because this sausage really had a lot going for it.  Who knows I may give it another chance the next time that it cycles around.

Jalapeño Smoked Chicken Sausage with Mole à la Carlos and Cotija Cheese

Definition of insanity , repeating the same action and anticipating a different result. I do not care for smoked sausage, whether it be pork, shrimp, or chicken. I know I don’t care for it, but I end up ordering it anyway.

This sausage was not one of my favorites, Maybe because It found the smokey flavor over powering or that the mole sauce had a bit of a carbon taste that I didn’t enjoy.  This was a healthy sized sausage so you won’t go hungry that’s for sure. It had a smooth texture, which you would expect in a chicken sausage.

The mole sauce is where I take issue. It tasted almost burnt. Now I am not a mole expert so I don’t know if that was the flavor intention or not so I won’t criticize. I also do not like my food blackened so that may be be why I didn’t enjoy it.

All in all It was ok, not good, not great, but also not bad either. It was just.. meh.

3 out of 10 Rating in my book.

The Dog – A Seasoning of Faiths Perfection

The Dog. When I moved to The Greater Chicagoland Metropolitan Area the first time, I sampled what I thought was a Chicago Style Hot Dog. I was mistaken. Usually when one wants a CSHD (Patent Pending) you have to go into a Jack of All Trades (Master of None) style shop. These places usually Serve CSHD’s, Gryos, Pizza Puffs, Italian Beef, and the like. Now don’t get me wrong I eat at these places too. There is one by my office where I can get two dogs. Fries and a Soda (not pop, that is the guy married to mom) for like $3. It also happens to be worth exactly that, $3. The Dogs are wrapped so tight that everything squished together and the hot dog they use I’m sure reads on the package (Contains up to 50% real meat)

At Hot Doug’s The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium they make a proper CSHD. Fresh bun, hotdog that reaches the end of the bun, pickle spear, sport peppers, tomatoes, Neon Relish, and Celery Salt, all recogizable and you can taste their flavors in every bite. Check out the picture and ask yourself when the last time a stand dog looked like that?