How to Grill the Perfect Sausage: Long-Time Enthusiast Jyri Jämsä Shares His Secrets

Grilling the perfect sausage involves more than just placing it on the heat, according to Jyri Jämsä, a dedicated sausage enthusiast and chairman of the Akateeminen Kiuas-Seura, a consumer organization that evaluates new sausages annually. Jämsä emphasizes that a common mistake is grilling sausages while they are still cold from the refrigerator. He recommends letting sausages sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling to ensure more even cooking.

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The most common mistake is that the sausage is taken directly from the refrigerator and put on the grill while cold.

Jämsä's advice begins even before the grilling stage, starting at the grocery store. He urges consumers to examine product labels, paying attention to the ingredients and the percentage of real meat versus mechanically separated meat. He notes that the cheapest sausages are often not the best, typically containing less meat.

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This is the most important preparation step.

Furthermore, Jämsä advises against cutting slits into sausages, a practice also discouraged by his organization. He explains that slits can cause juices to escape, leading to dryness, especially in leaner sausages. For fattier sausages, cuts can increase the risk of flare-ups on the grill. He suggests grilling sausages for no more than ten minutes, ensuring they are nicely browned on the surface without cracking, which indicates overcooking. Allowing the sausage to cool slightly before eating is also recommended.

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Slits can cause liquid to drain, leading to the sausage drying out. Slits can dry out low-fat sausage in particular. If you cut slits into a very fatty sausage, it can easily flare up on the grill.