Grilled Beef Sausages in Apricot BBQ Sauce

**This post is sponsored by the North American Meat Institute, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The reviews and opinions are all my own and unbiased. The information provided is accurate at the time of publication. To learn more about prepared beef products, check out bebeefprepared.com**

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The summer is upon us and for me, that means pool time, cold drinks and delicious food cooked on the grill. Now while I love the classics, burgers, wings, hot dogs and kabobs, I enjoy trying out a new dish or two during these summer months to add to the rotation. That’s where this dish comes in. I’m using prepared beef sausages to grill up and get that nice smokey flavor, and then building up a deliciously sweet and smoky bbq sauce that makes these feel more like burnt ends, but in much less time! And with 4th of July coming up, this is one that can be served as a main on buns or as an appetizer with toothpicks for what may be your first gathering in over a year! Prepared meats like these sausages allow you to Be Beef-Prepared when looking to please a range of tastes and preferences help to make delicious meals and snacks with ease, because there is something for everyone with prepared meats. Ok, let’s get into the inspiration…

THE INSPIRATION

I hinted at it in the intro, but this dish was inspired by burnt ends. It’s one of my favorite things to get at BBQ restaurants with their size and tender bite. I first tried burnt ends when I was in Dallas, TX for a work trip. I had them during brunch and I was immediately head over heels for them. The meat itself was so tender and full of smoky flavor and the sauce was sweet and spicy. Perfection. I wanted to simulate that experience, but in less time and with much less effort and so I thought of beef sausages. Prepared beef sausages allow you to Be Beef-Prepared when time is tight — this recipe is perfect for a delicious weeknight meal or snack. . They’re also a staple at any summer cookout, but I find that most people throw them on the grill like hot dogs and that’s about it. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, I wanted something that would give my guests a new experience and also allow me to have a variety of dishes on my table. As many of you already know, I also LOVE bbq sauce. Especially homemade bbq sauces that come together quickly and on the same grill that you’re already using to cook. Let’s break down the details of this dish a little more, shall we?

THE DEETS

So the barbecue sauce for these starts with a ketchup base to cut down on time, and adds in brown sugar, honey, spices and, of course, apricot jam. I love the addition of apricots because it adds both tartness and summer flavor. A little sweetness is also added because of the jam, but it is the tartness of the apricots that help bring balance to the overall sauce. Finishing the sauce with butter also helps to smooth it out and add a glossy finish, which looks great on the grilled sausages. Speaking of the sausages, I went with cutting these on a bias to make it easier to stack if you want to put them on a bun. It also gives you a good ratio of casing to inside when grilling to get the best balance of texture when eating. I love that I can choose sausages with natural ingredients and still get to enjoy the convenience of having them ready to simply slice and add to the grill then to this amazing bbq sauce. They’re sticky, sweet, tangy and a little spicy and I’ve gotta tell you, addictive!! I know you’re ready for the recipe, so check out the tips for making them so you can add this to your Independence Day bbq!

TIPS FOR MAKING

Don’t be intimidated by making your own bbq sauce, it’s super easy and worth it for the final result. Here are a few tips to help you out with this recipe:

• Even if you want to eat these sausages on a long, hot dog style bun, I suggest at least splitting them in half lengthwise to get the grilled flavor on the meat and maximizing places for the sauce to stick to!
• The bbq sauce comes together quickly and will thicken more after coming off of the grill. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will coat the meat. Just be sure not to burn it.
• For the ultimate experience, put your bbq sausages on a bun and top with pickles and coleslaw!

That’s it on these sausages. Believe me when I say I’ll be having these July 4th and all summer long. They’re just too good not to make again and again!

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