An unsatisfied government consultant leaves her career to make free-range sausages. How’s that for a democracy sizzle?
Free-range, gluten-free and ethical are not words traditionally associated with sausages. But in Sydney’s inner west, Chrissy’s Cuts’ beef chuck, lamb shoulder and chicken thigh sausages tick all three boxes – and, most importantly, passed the GT taste test.
Before turning her hand to the meat grinder, Chrissy Flanagan worked as a government consultant, but restlessness lead to dabbling in kombucha, jam and cheese making. She moved on to gourmet sausages two years ago after an ultimatum from her partner.
“I’d turned my partner’s music studio into a cheese-ageing room and essentially stank him out, so he asked me to shift my attention to something he liked – beer or sausages,” Flanagan says. “And Sydney is already well-versed in microbreweries, so it was decided.”
Chrissy Flanagan.
Working with free-range quality meats is top priority for Flanagan, who’s an ex-vegetarian. She’s also focused on keeping the sausages filler free.
“I’m incredibly freaked out by eating meat when I don’t know what it is or where it’s from,” she says. “So many sausages are packed with flour and other fillers, which dilute the flavour.”
Her sausages read like menu items, such as Yorke Peninsula chicken thigh with preserved lemon, oregano and honey, or Darling Downs pork shoulder with smoked hickory and brown sugar. Surry Hills’ Chur Burger has served the latter in a hot dog, and you may have heard of her pork shoulder sausage with bacon and maple syrup, the clear crowd-pleaser at Chrissy Cut’s Sydney Festival pop-up.
Sausage sandwich.
At the GT offices, we thought the pork and maple syrup was a tad sweeter than a snag needs to be. The unanimous favourite was the lamb shoulder with sumac and mint. It’s a classic combination done well, the quality of the lamb speaking for itself.
For now, Chrissy’s Cuts can be found at select inner west grocers, though Flanagan has plans to open a sausage bar in Dulwich Hill come April. In lieu of the traditional white bread and tomato sauce, expect sourdough rolls and bread spread with Pepe Saya butter and topped with slaw-like salads. Local brews are planned, but at first it’ll be BYO. Microbrews not mandatory, but accepted.
Chrissy’s Cuts sausages are available in wholesale and in six-packs for retail, both online and at select inner west grocers. For more information and to see upcoming pop-ups, visit chrissyscuts.com.au
