In Southeastern Virginia? Try A Dandoodle!

[DougGuy]

For those of us in the know, no visit to southeastern Virginia is complete without taking home a dandoodle! A dandoodle (also called Tom Thumb) is an old style sausage made of ground pork and seasonings stuffed in a natural pork casing (stomach) and hung in a smokehouse with the hams, link sausage, and bacon slabs. It has a flavor somewhere between a sour-ish summer sausage, and a country breakfast sausage, with just a little hint of sage and red pepper. These sausages are native to just a few counties in the southeastern Virginia area where much of the Smithfield style hams are produced, and are a true delicacy!

Easiest place to get one is along the US58 corridor from Suffolk, to Franklin, Courtland, and as far west as Emporia. They are found in farmer's markets, ham and peanut shops, ma and pa country stores and other specialty shops in this area, and a few of the sausage packing houses make them year round. Outside of this area, you won't find one, or anybody that even knows what one is for that matter..

[MT Gianni]

Looks like a great meal.

[square butte]

Anyone selling them mail order?

[DougGuy]

They sell them refrigerated so I do not know if they ship or not, you could call them and ask..

http://www.farmerfranksfarmmarket.com/

This is the place they came from.

Also, they are sold in the refrigerator case at Grayson & Emma's Gardenspot on U.S. 58 in Courtland. It's made down the road at A.L. Duck Jr. Inc., a small, family-owned packing house in the tiny town of Walters. It's available year round.

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/grou...gs-stomach-yum

[MaryB]

Looks like it would make a great breakfast sandwich on a biscuit or english muffin.

[nagantguy]

Love em, will.drive 50 miles out of the way to get some when in the area. My buddy from Ohio makes pilgrimages there to get them. Great for a opening day sandwiche.

[square butte]

Thanks Doug - I will see if I can run one of your leads down who will ship us 2 or 3.

[GoodOlBoy]

those look really good. man my mouth is watering!

GoodOlBoy

[high standard 40]

Louisiana has a very similar offering known locally here as a "Ponce". I have never had one so I can't offer an opinion.

[DougGuy]

Actually, there is a place that will ship, I didn't list it yesterday because they are rather expensive. On everything. But... They are one of Virginia's premier sausage makers and smokers of fine hams, bacon, etc. They have a long legacy of fine smoked meats around Surry County, and their products bring a premium price. Along with the dandoodle, you will find MANY tempting items on their pages, along with holiday specials, gift packs, etc. They make a "surryano" ham that competes with the world famous Jamon Iberico hams of Spain which bring upwards of $20/oz here in the US when you can find them.

These dandoodles are rather expensive, but I think you get 3 to the order, and I have wanted to taste one made by them for a good while, just because of their reputation for their hams and sausage. Enjoy!

http://www.edwardsvaham.com/

[1Shirt]

New to me, but would like to try some with eggs and grits!
1Shirt!

[Shiloh]

Your plate looks GREAT!!

Shiloh

[jaysouth]

Virginia Haggis!

[jroc]

DougGuy you made my trip south this winter a little longer cause I'm going to try a Dandoodle. They do look good, especially with 2 eggs over easy and a plate full of grits loaded with butter and salt and pepper. Dam I'm drooling.lol

[DougGuy]

DougGuy you made my trip south this winter a little longer cause I'm going to try a Dandoodle. They do look good, especially with 2 eggs over easy and a plate full of grits loaded with butter and salt and pepper. Dam I'm drooling.lol

Heh GOOD for you! I just got my last one out of the freezer and started on it yesterday. They are truly good.

There are many delicious brands of root beer, some smoother than others, some more flavored with that old time home brew flavor, you tend to remember the unique ones, and you always in the back of your mind say "Next time I go there, I'm going to bring back some of that root beer" because there was just something about it that set it apart or made it unique or it just hit a certain spot on your taste buds. This is what the dandoodle does for me, it's that "Next time I go here, I am going to get me some of this" kind of thing that once you learn that delicate taste they have, you will always want one. +1 for making your trip down South a little more interesting and rewarding..

Might want to get an extra one, I hear ol' Santa Claus likes them too! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[MaryB]

If you are ever in MN try 1919 root beer. Made by Schells Brewery the old fashioned way

[jroc]

Ya DougGuy I know what you mean. I did figure I would probably get 2 or 3. I wouldn't want to find I really like it and then not have anymore. lol. jroc

[Lloyd Smale]

is there a spice recipe or is it a guarded secret?

[DougGuy]

I haven't seen a recipe specific to a dandoodle sausage. It is flavored closely to bologna, or salami, or somewhere in between those. It has the summer sausage flavor but a little different. It's a hard flavor to describe but one you get real used to, real quick.

http://www.southernliving.com/travel...sage-lost-link

And this from Bertie County, NC:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.co...-09/1126144558

Edwards uses 72% lean pork trimmings, others make it differently. I do know it is a very lean sausage, hardly any fat cooks out of it when you slice and fry it.