There are two basic varieties of sausage - sausage that is raw and needs to be boiled, broiled or fried, and sausage that has been cured or smoked. Beef smoked sausage is fully cooked and dried, usually using hickory smoke. This makes the sausage shrink slightly in its casing and become hard and chewy.

In fact, this is a traditional method of preserving meat that dates back at least to the middle ages - maybe even longer. In those days, the scrap portions of meat were preserved in this manner because food was less plentiful among the lower classes, and they had to make the most of what they had. Before there was refrigeration, smoking or curing sausage was the leading way of preserving meat for the season ahead.

Nowadays, making beef smoked sausage is no longer a matter of survival, but it's just as delicious. Much like beef jerky, smoked sausage can be eaten as is - just cut off a piece for a quick, high-protein snack, with or without bread or crackers. Smoked sausage is also a great addition to soup or stew.

As the stew cooks, the flavour of the sausage is gradually released; and though smoked sausage can sometimes be tough, it gets softer and less dense while it is cooking. Beef smokes sausage can be added to almost any stew recipe in place of (or in addition to) other meat, but here is one recipe to start you off. Note that this recipe calls for a slow cooker or crock pot; it can also be modified for stove top cooking. Stove top cooking time is approximately one and a half hours at a low-medium temperature, though cooking for longer may actually improve the flavor.

Sausage Stew
1 lb beef smoked sausage
3 - 4 potatoes, cubed
1 can green peas, or a cup of frozen green peas
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cubes of bullion
1 onion, minced
1/2 cup water

Add all ingredients to slow cooker or a large saucepan. In the slow cooker, cook for 6 - 8 hours. This is a great recipe to throw in the pot in the morning, and let it slowly simmer all day long.