Thai Pork Sausage Stuffing

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I’ve made this dish twice this week now.  The first time was last weekend, when my family came down to Portland and Jesse and I got to host our first Thanksgiving in the new house.

And the second was yesterday, one of the three true days off that I take off from work each year, when I got to wake up with my favorite person in the world, and spend a beautiful, crisp Thursday morning each cooking our own respective contributions to our gigantic Thanksgiving feast.  And I mean gigantic.  Seriously, look at this roster:

Appetizers
Dee: Veggie Pizza
Brush: Pickle chips
Caleb: Cheese Board
Andrew: Fondue?
Erika: Stuff Mushroom

The Culinary Explosion
Teran: Turkey, traditional stuffing, brown butter mashed potatoes
Tyler and Jesse: Ham
Dee: Field Roast
Crystal Valley: Squash ravioli
Lindsey: Thai pork sausage stuffing
Kate: Squash rice pilaf
Zack: Fresh Baked Bread Rolls
Andrew: Green Chili Cheese Corn Bake
Jesse Wilson: Green Chili Cheese Mashed Potatoes who aspires to be reincarnated as a turkey
Erika: Mac and Cheese
Carolyn: Roasted Root Veggie
Josh: Cranberry Sauce Salad
Biff: Brussel Sprouts in Cream Sauce
Claire: Sweet Potato Casserole
Kelly: Baked Leeks in Cream Sauce
Andrea: Green Bean Casserole

Yo, Sweetness is my weakness
Kate: Pumpkin Pie
Elizabeth Haus: Holiday Cheesecake
Andrea: Pecan Pie
Cloud: Sweet Potato Pie
Erika: ?

So yes, we were both pretty serious about cooking.  Jesse hopped out of bed at 8:00 a.m. to fire up the smoker, where he smoked a pineapple-clove-orange-whiskey glazed ham.

And I went to work on my Thai Pork Sausage Stuffing, round two.

This recipe was adapted from a recent issue of Sunset magazine, and it’s a nice, spicy spin on the regular traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.  It was disappointingly bland the first go-round, so here I’ve kicked it up a notch by tweaking a lot of the spices and adding stronger flavors.

It uses starchy, sticky rice in place of half the bread, and mixes flavors of ginger, cilantro, and lemongrass for a tangy kick.  The very first step is to soak 1 cup of this sticky rice in hot water for about an hour; get this going at the beginning, and it can soak while you prep everything else.

Meanwhile, into the food processor goes:

  • 2 tbsp minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 stalks of lemongrass (inner stems only)
  • stems from 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 3 serrano chilis

Puree these ingredients together, then add 1 lb. pork sausage (I used some apple pork sausage from New Seasons), and 1 tsp salt.

Now you’ll want to chop up:

  • 1 tbsp ginger
  • 1 tbsp garlic
  • 1 medium onion

Melt 2 tbsp butter in  a skillet, and sautee the above three ingredients until the onions are translucent.  Then add in the pork mixture from the food processor, and cook until it has a nice, sausage-y texture.

At the same time, cook the rice by steaming it over a pot of boiling water for about 15 minutes.  A smallish strainer like this one is perfect for the job: drain the soaking rice by pouring it into this strainer, then heat up a few inches of water in the pot that the rice had been soaking in, letting it come to a full boil.  Rest the strainer full of rice on top of the pot, and place a bowl over top to keep the steam in.

Then, take a very large bowl and mix together the following:

  • Everything you were just cooking in the skillet
  • 3 cups chicken broth (I used Better Than Bullion, which has a very rich flavor)
  • 1 large sourdough baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes (if you can, try to remember to cut this up the night before so they’re a little stale)
  • 2 eggs, beaten together
  • leaves from 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • a few tablespoons of chopped basil
  • 4 green onions

Once everything has been thoroughly mixed, transfer it all to a 9×13 baking dish, and bake at 375 for 30 minutes, covered with foil.  After 30 minutes, uncover and bake for a final 30 minutes with the foil off.


This Week’s Groceries

Safeway 11/14

  • Can of green chilis: $1.49
  • Beef broth: $0.99
  • Tomato paste: $0.59
  • Tomato sauce: $1.39
  • Chili beans: $1.39 — Can you guess what Jesse was making for dinner?
  • Chicken broth: $2.60
  • Frozen pizza: $4.99
  • Yellow onions: $0.28
  • Jalapeno pepper: $0.12
  • Pork sausage: $3.29

TOTAL: $17.03

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $147.39

 

New Seasons 11/16

  • Coconut oil: $6.99
  • Table salt: $0.99
  • Sushi rice: $2.72
  • Dozen eggs: $2.99
  • Half and half: $2.99
  • Cream cheese: $1.99
  • Lemongrass: $0.69
  • Fresh herbs: $1.52
  • Jalapeno: $0.95
  • Ground chicken: $3.97 — The first go-round of this dish, for my family, I used chicken instead of pork
  • Sourdough baguette: $3.99

TOTAL: $29.79

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $117.60

 

Portland Fruit Company 11/16

  • Chestnuts
  • Yellow Onion
  • Gallon milk
  • Rutabega
  • Parsnips
  • Turnips

TOTAL: $27.30

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $90.30

 

Grocery Outlet 11/20

  • Pineapple rings: $1.29
  • Frozen peas: $0.99
  • Half and half: $2.39
  • Ginger root: $1.49
  • Butter: $2.59
  • White vinegar: $1.49
  • Yellow onions: $1.49

TOTAL: $11.73

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $78.57

 

New Seasons 11/20

  • Sushi rice: $1.44
  • Anaheim pepper: $0.42
  • Serrano pepper: $0.18
  • Lemongrass: $0.72
  • Apple pork sausage: $6.17
  • Sourdough baguette: $2.99

TOTAL: $11.92

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $66.65

 

Fred Meyer 11/21

  • Brown sugar: $1.79
  • Pickling salt: $2.09
  • Lawry seasoned salt: $2.37
  • Meat tenderizer: $3.69
  • Cloves: $0.35
  • Ginger root: $0.45
  • Shallots: $0.57
  • Turkey breasts: $19.08

TOTAL: $30.39

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $36.26 — Not too shabby, after two full Thanksgivings!


Questions? Comments? Feedback? Anecdotes? Let me know about it here!