Sausage King of Charleston

Jimmy Dean went hog wild in Texas. Ohio pigged out with Bob Evans. “Abe Froman” lived high on the hog in Chicago. And with the introduction of Belle’s Country Links, Charleston is now squealing over the sausage stylings of Chris Stewart. This Glass Onion cofounder has been honing his pork prowess since the casual diner started offering brunch four years ago, and after much recipe tweaking, Stewart has finally cooked up a winning mix of swine, seasonings, and syrup. “The sweet and savory combination is really versatile,” says the chef, noting that he’s plated the breakfast-style sausage with shrimp and grits, roasted apples, duck confit, and cornbread pudding.

Available raw by the pound at The Glass Onion and Ted’s Butcherblock (as well as prepared in a fresh array of daily dishes at the GO), the generous links feature pastured Tamworth pigs raised on Walterboro’s Keegan-Filion Farm. “Most sausages are made with leftover parts that are hard to serve any other way,” explains Stewart, “but I thought it would be cool to use the entire pig. Plus, Annie Filion’s hogs are good and fatty, which doesn’t hurt when making sausage.” True to the eatery’s love for all things local, Stewart also rooted out reputable Kingstree processors Sep and Scott Harvin to produce and package the cased goods. With their mild flavor and fresh prep, these home-style sausages will have every Lowcountry meat-eater wallowing in whole hog heaven.

For more on The Glass Onion, including their daily menu, click here.

To read our January 2010 In Good Taste article featuring a comfort food supper with The Glass Onion’s three recipe-sharing chefs, click here.

For more articles on eating well in the Lowcountry, click here.