For everyone who is a fan of meats, we are pretty sure Tasso would be on your favourite food list. That’s to say because Tasso has the spicy and hot flavour, added to the Cajun pork. Usually, people call Tasso the Tasso ham. On the other hand, people are always looking for Tasso substitutes since it’s not always available at the supermarkets!
Tasso – What Is It?
First of all, people who call Tasso, the Tasso ham, they are wrong because it’s made from the shoulder, rather than the hind leg. The pork meat is cured with salt and seasoned with file powder, cayenne, pepper, garlic, and additional herbs. Once marinated, it is smoke for a few days. Tasso is usually added to pasta, eggs, Cajun, beans, and jambalaya since it adds the flavour.
Tasso is readily available in Louisiana, but finding it outside Louisiana can be the real struggle. To be honest, Tasso is famous for the smoky and spicy flavour, and one can crave those amazing flavours. But again, if you cannot find Tasso, we have lined out the Tasso substitutes in the article to help you out!
Best Substitute For Tasso
1. Spicy Chorizo
Chorizo is the Spanish pork sausage and can be found in the smoked, cured, and fermented versions. However, the uncooked and fresh chorizo is available as well, so you will need to cook it before adding to the pasta or eggs (or any dish!). The spicy chorizo is made by chopping the pork fat and pork in the coarse form and is then seasoned with salt and smoked paprika.
On the other hand, Portuguese chorizo has fat, garlic, salt, wine, paprika, and obviously pork. On the other hand, the smoked red paprika in dried form adds the deep red colour to chorizo and promises higher smokiness. Keep in mind that spiciness in chorizo will depend on pepper that you add. For instance, the Mexican chorizo is not smoked and has chilli peppers in it. With this being, Spanish chorizo will make a better substitute to Tasso for the smoked flavour.
2. Canadian Bacon
Sure, the name says bacon, but it resembles ham pretty much with the identical flavour and texture. The Canadian bacon is made by smoking and curing the pork loins. For people who are conscious about calories, Canadian bacon will make the right substitute because it’s made with the lean meat. The Canadian bacon is available in the pre-sliced and pre-cooked form.
As for the flavour, it has a smoky flavour rather than spicy. On the other hand, before you add Canadian bacon to your recipe, sautéing it in garlic, onion, and pepper will promise the optimal flavour and taste.
3. Smoked Ham
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that there can be no better substitute for Tasso than smoked ham. The best part is that smoked ham is readily available at grocery stores. Some people think smoked ham is less spicy as compared to Tasso, but one can always add the seasoning as they like. In addition, there is German smoked ham, commonly known as black forest ham which is smoked in fir and pine.
However, the German smoked ham is famous for the smoky flavour with the pinch of sweet flavour. On the other hand, the users can even smoke and cure ham as you like.
4. Andouille Sausage
Andouille is the grained and smoked sausage with a coarse texture and is made from pork. The best part is that Andouille sausage is an active part of Louisiana cuisine and is commonly labelled as Cajun sausage. This sausage is made with pepper, garlic, onion, wine, and additional seasonings and spices, along with the pork. As a result, the sausage will be pretty spicy.
The andouille sausage is always made from the Boston Butt roast (smoked one). After the stuffing, the sausage is smoked. On the other hand, the German and French forms are less spicy. The French version is made from the chitterlings of a pig, along with seasonings, wine, and onion. The colour will be pretty distinctive, but the flavour is less spicy. But again, one can always add the cayenne pepper for enhancing the spicy flavour.
5. Andouillette
The andouillette is made from pork, onion, pepper, wine, along with the chitterlings. This is the course and grained sausage and has a unique odour. If your recipe demands the smoky and spicy Tasso, andouillette will make a fine replacement.