6 Southern Chefs On Why They Love Conecuh Sausage—And You Should, Too

Here are the reasons this Alabama staple, hickory-smoked pork, has been around for over 75 years.

Ask any Alabamian about Conecuh sausage, and they’re bound to tell you their favorite ways to eat it. Grilled, pan-fried, roasted, baked, diced and added to another dish—there’s no wrong way to devour this juicy, smoky sausage, and in fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a single non-vegetarian who doesn’t love it.

It is not just the balanced taste that matters, but also the story. The company was established in Evergreen in southern Alabama, at the heart of Conecuh County, in 1947. Today, it’s still family owned and operated, and its gift shop draws travelers in with scents you can detect from the car.

“Cruising down I-65, you will know you get to Evergreen, as the hickory smoke dances across the interstate,” says Executive Chef Brody Olive of Perdido Beach Resort Orange Beach. “Seventy-five years in the business deserves a big round of applause, as they are doing it right and continue the legacy.”

No longer Alabama’s best-kept secret, Conecuh sausage can now be found in grocery stores around the country. As these Southern chefs explain, Conecuh sausage will always be dear to the South and its residents. You’ll soon be running to the supermarket to scoop up some links for yourself.

It adds major flavor to pastries

Kristen Hall, a Georgia native and owner of Bandit Pâtisserie Conecuh was a new name to Birmingham until Conecuh moved to Alabama. “I was at a summer backyard party, and someone had put some on the grill. I can still remember. [eating] some and asking what I had just had,” she says.

One of Hall’s favorite uses for Conecuh is in her savory English cream scones. Hall first bakes the sausage in an oven. After it cools, Hall chops it up in a food processor. Then, she adds it to the scone batter with aged Cheddar and cracked black pepper. “Conecuh has such a robust flavor, and it really shines in savory pastries,” she says.

It’s a Match Made in Heaven with Barbecue

While searching for a great local sausage to serve on his barbecue menu, Jonathan “Rusty” Tucker of Rusty’s Bar-B-Q Conecuh, a conglomerate of people from Alabama, was found in Leeds in 2009.

“We’re passionate about community, and it was important for me to celebrate Alabama food,” he says. “Conecuh has a real depth of flavor you can’t get from mass produced brands… [it] just tastes like Alabama.”

At Rusty’s, customers gobble it up as a side on barbecue plates and within dishes like collard greens or turkey and sausage gumbo. Tucker also likes to use it in the place of orouille sausage in red beans, rice or jambalaya. He also likes to slice it into rounds and put it in biscuits or omelets.

It’s a Secret Weapon for Flavorful Gumbo

When Sedesh Boodram moved from New York City to Alabama and couldn’t find the andouille sausage he was looking for at the grocery store, he substituted Conecuh.

“I fell in love,” recalls the chef at The Anvil Pub & Grill Birmingham. Conecuh is now a favorite ingredient in his gumbo. He also loves to use it in barbecue shrimp, duck cassoulets, crawfish boils and hush puppies. He does not waste any part of the sausage and even uses it as a finishing oil in his baked potato soup.

“The difference is in the flavor,” says Booodram of Conecuh. “It’s a perfect balance of heat and spices and lends itself to dishes without overpowering.” Want to enhance the smoky flavor and enjoy Conech on its own? Boodram suggests grilling it.

It’s a Breakfast Staple Worth Waking Up Early For

From breakfast corn dogs to sausage gravy to British “toad in the hole” (similar to a popover), there’s no morning dish that isn’t made better by the addition of Conecuh, says Steven Goff, executive chef at Tastee Diner in Asheville, N.C. After being introduced to the sausage at the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama, he now uses it in every way imaginable.

“I love Conecuh because it holds its snap better than any other breakfast sausage I have used,” he says, adding that because it comes fully cooked and is really hard to overcook, it’s an easy ingredient for home cooks to play around with. For a basic but delicious breakfast, try Goff’s favorite: Conecuh seared in bacon fat in a cast-iron skillet.

It’s a Perfect Addition to a Cheese Board

Olive of Perdido Beach Resort claims that Conecuh’s legacy was first introduced by a fellow cook after he moved from Charleston to Birmingham, S.C. He’s since found the sausage to be such a crowd pleaser, he uses it in many ways across the hotel, from shrimp-and-grits action stations to kolaches at the coffee shop. Conecuh can be enjoyed on its own. He recommends that it be sliced and served with yellow mustard and cheese on a cheeseboard. It’s beautiful balance of smoke and spices holds up to many culinary creations, says Olive, adding that Thanksgiving stuffing with Conecuh It’s a fun take on the holiday tradition.

It’s a Darn Good Replacement for a Hot Dog

Once you try one of Executive Chef James Balster’s Conecuh dogs from the pool grill at The Lodge at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, loaded up with peppers and onions, you’ll never go back to regular hot dogs. There’s simply no comparison of Oscar Mayer to the rich, smoky, slightly spicy yet balanced flavor of Conecuh. Can’t make it to The Lodge? It’s easy to recreate at home, says Balster: Simply split it down the middle and grill until nice and crispy.

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