Sausage and I - we are tight. Best buds. I love adding it to stew, pasta, stuffing, bread, even mixing into burgers and meatloaf - yum! I also love using it to celebrate St. Patrick's Day - Bangers and Mash style. The last couple of years I have purchased the Irish style bangers from Trader Joe's. They were good, but not great. So I have had my eyes opened to try other Irish bangers. Costco offered me that chance when I spotted a pack of Irish bangers from RJ Balson & Son.
Review of RJ Balson & Son Irish Bangers
A word about Balson sausage. The company traces its roots all the way back to 1515! John Balson was a meat trader in England. That is just crazy. RJ Balson and Son butcher shop has been in the same location since 1880. Amazing longevity, especially in the ever changing food/grocery landscape. That testifies to the quality of their product, their business sense, and ability to adapt to the changing times. They began producing bangers for the American market in 2007.
Now onto the sausage itself. These Irish bangers are superb. Very well seasoned with great flavor. Meaty without an abundance of filler that you find in cheap sausage. Their passion for great meat really shines through in these bangers. You are definitely getting a bang for your buck. A 2 pound package goes for $7.49 at Costco. That works out to $3.74/pound, a steal for sausage of such high quality. Buy up and freeze them for later use. The perfect reason to forget the corned beef this St. Patrick's Day and make some bangers and mash instead (see my recipe below).
How to Cook RJ Balson & Son Irish Bangers
Since these bangers are fully cooked, all you need to do is heat them up. Browing them in a frying pan will add depth of flavor.
Coat the bottom of your pan with oil. Heat up over medium high heat. Once hot add the bangers. Make sure they have room to move around without touching.
Rotate the bangers to brown each side. The whole process should take about 8 to 10 minutes. The bangers will have a nice snap to them.
Serve your bangers over mashed potatoes for a traditional bangers & mash. Need some suggestions here are a few mashed potatoes recipes.
{Baked} No Peeling Necessary Mashed Potatoes
Bobby Flay’s Mashed Potatoes with Buttermilk
Bobby Flay’s Smoked Paprika Mashed Potatoes
Alton Brown’s Whipped Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb RJ Balson & Son Irish Bangers
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts shredded
- Your favorite mashed potatoes
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil or bacon fat
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Mash
- Shred the Brussels sprouts in a food processor or with a knife.
- Heat up a frying pan over medium high heat. Add oil or bacon fat. Add in the sprouts. Cook the sprouts for a couple minutes to just soften and brown. Remove from heat.
- Fold into your favorite mashed potatoes
For the Bangers
- Coat the bottom of a frying pan with oil. When hot add the sausages. Brown each side turning regularly for evening browning.. Should take about 8 to 10 minutes to completely brown the sausage.
- Serve the sausage right on top of the mashed potatoes.
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