Fancy snags fight it out to be crowned 'Sausage King'
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Butchers with eskies full of their best sausages are converging on Adelaide for the national Sausage King Competition. The judges are preparing for a feast and with combinations like pork and butterscotch or chicken with Thai green curry, they have to be ready to try anything. Head judge Allan Rowan said the Australian Meat Industry Council organised event was a great opportunity for butchers to show off their craft and for judges to taste some strange sausages. "We've had some really interesting judges, some bring their own beer," he said. The national competition requires judges to taste six sausages in each category but Mr Rowan said the state competitions can be much more challenging. "In the Queensland gourmet section sometimes there can be up to 70 entries. "Tasting 70 entries can be quite a bit. "We get the odd vegetarian try to sneak in but they don't last long." Butcher Cliff Dalton is the Queensland finalist in the lamb sausage section. "We get the odd vegetarian try to sneak in but they don't last long." Audio: Best sausage judge and competitor talk fancy snags (ABC Rural) |
Butcher Cliff Dalton is the Queensland finalist in the lamb sausage section.
Mr Dalton is putting forward his port wine and garlic spin on the traditional snag for the competition.
He said he is working on many adventurous combinations.
"We've got a Thai curry, we've got a butterscotch and we also have a meat lover which is coming from a pizza sort of flavour."
Mr Dalton said gourmet sausages help butcher shops get an edge over the more conventional style of supermarket meats.
"That's what you're trying to do, give the customers something they can't buy at the big supermarkets or at the other butchers in town."
Queensland finalists in other categories include Rob Ashton from Pittsworth, Don Cameron from Airlie Beach, Tim Duggan from Mundabbera, Phil Smith from Newstead and Paul Purcell from Virginia.
Source : ABC Rural Amy McCoster February 6th 2015
