By December 2025. Winter in Memphis, 67 years old, and the cold has settled into the house on Deadrick Avenue the way cold settles into old bones — persistently, without malice, just the physics of aging and December. Rosetta has the thermostat set at 74, our eternal compromise, and I cook warming things: stews and soups and slow-braised meats that fill the house with steam and flavor.
Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 42 years of marriage. Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew.
Comfort food this week: a big pot of collard greens with smoked turkey neck, simmered for three hours until the greens were dark and silky and the pot liquor was a treasure. The kitchen smelled like Mama's kitchen in the shotgun house, and I stood at the stove and stirred and thought about hands — her hands, small and strong, teaching mine everything they know about turning humble ingredients into something that feeds not just the body but the soul.
I sat in the lawn chair next to Uncle Clyde's smoker as the dark came on, and I thought about what I always think about: the chain. From Clyde to me. From me to Trey, maybe, or Jerome, or whoever comes next with the patience and the hands and the willingness to stand next to a fire at three in the morning and wait for something good to happen. The chain doesn't break. The fire doesn't stop. And I am here, 67 years old, in a lawn chair in Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee, watching the smoke rise, and the rising is the living, and the living is the gift.
When Walter Jr. brought the grandchildren over and the house went from quiet to full in the span of a front door opening, I needed something that could move fast and please every plate at the table — and that’s exactly where this recipe lives. There’s something about shaking sausage links in five different seasonings that feels right for a gathering: everyone gets their flavor, nobody gets left out, and the whole thing comes together without pulling me away from the stories being told in the next room. After a week of slow simmers and patient fires, this one was built for the noise and the joy.
5 Ways Shake Dinner Party
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8–10
Ingredients
- 3 lbs smoked sausage links, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Shake #1 — Classic Southern: 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Shake #2 — Honey Mustard: 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Shake #3 — Garlic Herb: 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Shake #4 — BBQ Brown Sugar: 2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Shake #5 — Creole Kick: 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, pinch of white pepper
- 5 zip-top bags or large bowls (one per shake)
- Toothpicks or small skewers for serving
Instructions
- Divide the sausage. Separate the cut sausage links into five roughly equal portions, about 8–10 pieces each.
- Mix your shakes. Combine the ingredients for each of the five seasoning shakes in separate small bowls and stir well to blend.
- Coat each portion. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over each portion of sausage links. Add one shake blend to its designated bag or bowl, toss or shake to coat thoroughly, and let rest for 5 minutes so the seasoning adheres.
- Cook on the stovetop or grill pan. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches by flavor, cook each seasoned portion for 4–5 minutes per side, turning once, until caramelized and heated through. Keep finished batches warm in a low oven (200°F) while cooking remaining portions.
- Arrange for serving. Lay all five varieties on a large platter or sheet pan, grouping them by flavor. Label each section if you like, or let guests discover their favorites. Serve with toothpicks alongside dipping sauces such as extra BBQ sauce, spicy mustard, or ranch.
- Optional smoker finish. If you have a smoker running, transfer the cooked links to the smoker grate at 225°F for an additional 15 minutes to deepen the flavor with a true smoke ring.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 780mg