Just in case you don’t know or need reminding, I live in Ho Chi Minh City. This piece of information is relevant because I am about to tell you about this butchery that has just opened up in my neighborhood. Shout out to Meatworks Butchery. A friend told me about them and since they are Australian owned I figured they might have organic/free-range/grass-fed options. And they do! It was a great day. The word ‘gluten-free’ was pretty much the first thing that I saw when I walked in. My radar for this word is pretty legit.
The lady butcher (butcheress?), most likely sensed my excitement after I accidentally let an “eeeek” slip out of my mouth when I saw the gluten-free spicy pork sausages. A totally normal reaction considering my (up until recently) pork sausage deprivation. Before I got ahead of myself and bought all the gluten-free, grass-fed everything, I resigned to pacing myself and walked out of there with the sausages and some beef burger patties. Stay tuned for a recipe using the beef patties (no judgement if you let out an “eeeek” there)!
Now for the big decision. Do I make a sausage casserole? What about paleo pigs in a blanket? Or bangers and mash? What is a girl to make with all these options? I know right, first world problems. I settled on a classic dish (well classic if you’re South African or British) of bangers and mash.
Classic bangers and mash consists of pork sausages (which often have bread or wheat flour involved as a bulking agent), potato mash, peas and an onion gravy. My paleo version made use of gluten-free sausages, sweet potatoes and cauliflower for the mash and tomato, onion and zucchini for the gravy.
Steaming the sweet potatoes and cauliflower makes for a nice texture when mashed. I added some bone broth and butter to this and then used my immersion blender to blend until silky smooth!
While that was steaming and with much excitement I started on the sausages! You want that crispy, brown exterior, believe me. And if they burst, even better! The juices that come from that can be added into your gravy – you’re welcome.
I stir-fried the onion in coconut oil, then added the zucchini and tomato.
When the veggies were nice and soft, in went some bone broth, seasoning and butter which is what makes this a delightful gravy! Let that simmer together until reduced and a nice consistency.
Aaaaaand ASSEMBLE!
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into quarters
- 1 head of cauliflower chopped into florets
- 2 Tbs broth/stock
- 1 Tbs butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 zucchini julienned
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 Tbs butter
- 1 cup minus 2 Tbs for mash broth/stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 400 g pork sausages
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- Steam the sweet potatoes and cauliflower together until soft
- Put in a bowl with the broth, butter and salt and pepper
- Mash or blend with immersion blender until smooth
- Fry the onions in coconut oil until translucent
- Add the zucchini and tomatoes and cook until soft
- Season with salt and pepper and add the stock
- Bring to a simmer then cover to cook on low for a few minutes
- Uncover, add the butter and let reduce for a few minutes on medium heat
- Fry the pork sausages in a pan in coconut oil on medium heat
- Keep turning until browned on all sides and cooked all the way through (roughly 15 minutes)
- Serve the bangers on top of the mash and pour over the gravy. Enjoy!
