Sausage

First know whether it's fresh (raw, must be cooked) or cured/smoked (preserved, often ready to eat) — they're handled differently. Note for allergic eaters: many sausages contain wheat/gluten (rusk fillers), soy, milk, and sulfite additives, so check the label. Fresh sausage should smell clean and have plump, intact casings. Match the type to the dish: Italian for ragù, chorizo for paella and beans, bratwurst for the grill, andouille for gumbo.

Refrigerate fresh sausage at or below 4°C and use within a couple of days, or freeze; cook it through to 71°C (pork/beef) or 74°C (poultry). Cured and dry sausages keep far longer thanks to salt and curing and may be eaten without cooking. Don't pierce fresh sausages to 'release fat' — it just dries them out.

Cook fresh sausages gently and turn them so they brown evenly and cook through without bursting — a low simmer-then-sear, or a moderate pan/grill, beats high heat. Squeeze the meat from the casing to crumble into sauces and ragù, browning it for flavor. Heat smoked sausage through; slice cured sausage straight onto a board. Render the fat to flavor whatever cooks alongside.