A Kambah butcher will be taking his lamb sausages to the other side of the country in the hope of snagging the title of Australia's Sausage King.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Cameron Fenson, who has been in the meat trade for more than 20 years, has once again been named the best sausage maker in the ACT and will be aiming for his second national title at the National Sausage King competition on February 9.
Mr Fenson will travel to Perth with his pre-prepared sausages to ensure that his competitors don't pick up any of his tricks of the trade.
''I'll make them here at the shop so my secrets are kept safe and no one learns the recipe,'' he said.
The Meatways Butchery owner has been entering the annual competition, co-ordinated by the Australian Meat Industry Council, since 2007.
For the 2013 contest, he'll be hoping his lamb sausages, which have hints of fresh coriander, fresh basil, garlic and pepper, take out the crown in the Australian Lamb/Open Class category.
He admits he inherited his sausage-making flair from his father, who was also a butcher, but enjoys getting creative by concocting innovative, gourmet and healthy sausages.
The most popular taste combinations that Mr Fenson and his team sell at Meatways include pork, fennel and leek, macadamia and chicken, the Texas barbecue which features tomato, beans and sweet chilli, and his other lamb specialty, which combines honey, mint and rosemary.
He suggests when it comes to trying new sausage flavours, treat your local butcher like a waiter or food critic. ''Pick the flavour of the dish you would be most likely to order at a restaurant, ask your butcher what's in them and for their opinion on the taste,'' he said.
For the correct way to cook a snag, whether on the barbecue or in the frying pan, the key is to not attack them with a fork and be sure to rotate them evenly.
''Chunky sausages should be cooked slower than the plain English pork ones and you should never burst their skin while they are on the grill. You don't need to do that with a quality sausage as they shouldn't have too much fat in them,'' he said.
This Australia Day long weekend Mr Fenson encourages anyone looking to make friends to avoid leafy greens and stock up on sausages.
''You don't make friends with salad. All you need is a plain beef sausage cooked, some caramelised onion and tomato sauce. Definitely no salad or even a bun, let the sausage do the talking,'' he said.
More than 500 meat monarch wannabes around Australia enter the national Sausage King competition each year.
