It’s lunch time at the Dog Haus in Old Pasadena, and Würstmacher (“Sausage maker” to the uninitiated) Adam Gertler is up to his new tricks again.
This time the sausage recipe is street taco favorite Al Pastor.
It’s Dog Haus’ latest entry in its Absolute Wurst Sausage Series. The sausage is made with fresh-ground hormone and antibiotic-free pork sausage flavored with chiles, garlic, Mexican oregano and pineapple.
It’s the same grilled sweet heat you’re used to finding at your local taqueria, but with the savory snap of a sausage.
As Gertler explained, there are four different items made with this month’s sausage blend. For starters, there is the basic sausage hot dog on toasted King’s Hawaiian bread with Chipotle aioli.
“I’m trying not to make them too complicated,” said Gertler, “Because it’s really about the sausages.”
The next concoction on the table was “Jerry’s Way,” which is a homage to one of the cooks in the Pasadena location, who actually suggested creating the Al Pastor sausage. This “Mexican” one adds lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, lime and more Chipotle aioli.
There is also a simple sliced version of the sausage, as a beer and ball game-type appetizer. “It’s the lowest bar of entry,” said Gertler. “When you just want to taste it.”
The Corn Dog version, fried in a root beer batter, is another impressive approach.
“We mix root beer in with our corn dog batter, and that’s what you taste,” he explained. “Root beer has a lot of spice to it, like all sodas do, and that really comes out, and that gives it depth and complexity.”
Finally, there is the massive Breakfast Burrito construction, which is the Al Pastor sausage, with scallions, pickled jalapenos, the chipotle aioli, sunny side up eggs, crispy Tater Tots, and American cheese.
The Pork Al Pastor Sausage is made in small batches, with each Dog Haus location only receiving 200 links for the month. I took care of at least four of them apparently. Actually, we divided up the servings for lunch and a quarter of the batch returned with me to my modest Los Angeles home.
Dog Haus also donates $1 to No Kid Hungry from every Absolute Würst Sausage Series item sold, making the deal even yummier.
Next month, it’s Korean BBQ.
Dog Haus is at 93 East Green Street, Pasadena, and 105 North Hill Avenue, Suite 104, Pasadena, CA. www.doghaus.com.
