Smoked Stuffed Sausage Bacon Fatty Explosion

One of our favorite ways to use our smoker and grill is to cook up a smoked sausage roll, known as a "fatty roll" in some circles. Decadent, fattening and delicious, it is reserved for special occasions and is lovingly and appropriately called a "fatty roll" due to its shape and caloric content.

Don't get the wrong idea. Generally buttoned-up, we reserve our rebel activities to raising livestock in our backyard, so it's quite entertaining to see folks' reactions when we talk about rolling fatties. And, as fun as it is to say that we are "smoking a fatty in the yard," creating a fatty roll is a much anticipated family activity that is almost as fun to make as it is to eat!

Although there are many fatty recipes online, this one is our favorite.

In order to assemble the fatty roll, you are going to need a fatty piston. The piston allows you to create the stuffing for the sausage in the shape of a tube so that is is easily wrapped with the meat mixture. I suppose that you could use a sausage gun, but if you don't already have one, a piston would be less costly. I have not found any pistons online for purchase, but they are very easy to make using PVC materials and some glue. If you want to try your hand at making a piston, here is a nice tutorial by Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels:

How To Make a Fatty Piston

If you are averse to using PVC in the kitchen or prefer not to have to make the piston, here is another option. Use the large sausage stuffer tube to create the filling for your fatty roll. You may need to dice the potatoes very small to make them easier to squeeze through the tube.

A Bacon Explosion does not occur on the fly. It takes planning, equipment and time. Gather up your supplies and start a day in advance as the filling must be frozen overnight (or at least for several hours.) In case you are wondering, it will definitely be worth the effort!

Note that if you don't want to get up early to smoke the sausage before breakfast, the roll can be smoked the day before and stored in the fridge over night. Finish it on the grill or in the oven in the morning for an easy breakfast or brunch that will wow your family and your guests.

Materials:

• 1 bag of frozen diced hash brown potatoes with onion and green pepper
• 1 pound of ground sausage
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of bread crumbs (plain or Italian)
• 1 cup of shredded cheese (pick your favorite!)
• 1 pound of bacon
• 1 package of English muffins
• Eggs (1 per sandwich: poached, fried or scrambled)
• Hollandaise sauce (store bought or homemade)

Tools:

• Culinary piston (buy or make one: see instructions below)
• Plastic wrap
• Meat thermometer
• Gallon-size zipper bag

Instructions:

1. The day before you plan to make the fatty, fry the hash brown potatoes according to the directions on the bag.

2. Allow the potatoes to cool, and then mix potatoes and half of the shredded cheese in a bowl. Spread out a rectangle of plastic wrap (wide enough to wrap the entire piston) and stand the piston tube in the center of the plastic. Begin to stuff the tube with the potato and cheese mixture. A wide mouth funnel is helpful, but not necessary if you don't have one.

3. Use the piston plunger to stuff the mixture tightly into the tube.

4. Close both ends of the piston with plastic wrap and place the piston in the freezer over night. If you will be using a wood smoker, don't forget to soak the wood chips in water. I prefer to use hickory chips for this recipe, but will use mesquite in a pinch.

5. In the morning, remove the piston tube from the freezer and set it aside to thaw slightly. Mix the sausage, bread crumbs and raw egg lightly in a bowl. Move the mixture into the zipper bag and gently flatten the contents, spreading the mixture into a square.

6. Use scissors to slice open the seams of the bag and remove the top half of the plastic. Use the plunger to push the potato mixture onto the sausage, a few inches from one edge of the square. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

7. Roll up the sausage around the potato mixture and pinch the ends. Use the plastic bag to help you make your roll. Set aside. Create a bacon weave (see the video below), reserving one or two slices of bacon. Wrap the roll in the bacon mat and secure by tying it together with the reserved bacon slices.

8. Place the roll in the smoker and smoke for two hours. Remove the roll from the smoker and transfer it to a grill or oven set to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature, bring the interior of the roll to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If the bacon begins to burn, wrap the roll in aluminum foil. One the proper temperature is achieved, remove the roll from the heat and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

9. In the meantime, toast the English muffins and prepare one egg per sandwich. Poach, fry or scramble the eggs, according to your own preference.

Prepare Hollandaise sauce. A good recipe for the sauce is located here: Hollandaise Sauce.

Now, cut the roll into 1/2 inch slices.

10. Assemble the sandwiches by layering a fatty slice and an egg, topping with Hollandaise sauce. I like to serve the sandwiches with baked or barbecue beans. Enjoy!

What's better than bacon? A lot of bacon! Encase your sausage roll in a bacon weave to give it that yummy, salty flavor and an impressive presentation. Here's how.

Here are some items that you will need for smoking a bacon explosion and other smoker recipes. These are the items that I recommend, based on my experience with using my own smoker.

OR...make your own smoker. Instructions are here: Make Your Own Wood Smoker