Bostonians flock to the city's historic Italian North End for its lively street life, which includes vendors selling hearty sausage sandwiches from carts. This is a zippy home-grilled salute to the street version, overflowing with a crunchy, colorful fennel-and-pepper slaw. For a variation, substitute Portuguese-style linguiça for the Italian sausage.
SERVES 6
FENNEL SLAW
| 1 | large fennel bulb, sliced thin and cut into thin matchsticks |
| 1 | bell pepper, preferably yellow, cut into thin matchsticks |
| 1 | carrot, shredded |
| ½ | small red onion, cut into thin half-moons |
| 3½ | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon red wine vinegar |
| ½ | teaspoon Dijon mustard |
| 1 | small garlic clove, minced |
| ½ | teaspoon kosher salt or other coarse salt |
| 6 | fresh uncooked sweet or hot Italian sausages, approximately 5 to 6 ounces each |
| 6 | Italian rolls or buns or hot dog buns, preferably bakery-made |
| 6 | thin slices provolone cheese, at room temperature, optional |
Prepare the slaw, combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (The slaw can be made up to 12 hours in advance.)
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the sausages uncovered for a total of 20 to 25 minutes. First cook the sausages over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, rolling them every couple of minutes to crisp all sides. Move the sausages to medium heat and continue cooking for 12 to 15 additional minutes. When done, the sausages should be brown, crisp, and thoroughly cooked, but still juicy. If grilling covered, sear all sides of the sausages on high heat uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes; finish the cooking with the cover on over medium heat for 13 to 16 additional minutes. Toast the rolls on the edge of the grill in the last few minutes.
Arrange the sausages in the toasted rolls, tuck cheese in at the side of each if you wish, and top with the slaw. Serve immediately.
TECHNIQUE TIP: Grilling fresh, uncooked sausage is much different from grilling hot dogs or other pre-cooked sausages. You still sear the skin on high heat, but it becomes critical to cook the meat through, which is best accomplished by switching to a moderate temperature. In contrast with dogs, covered grilling works fine with uncooked sausage, but we prefer the results when the initial searing is done open, allowing you to turn the sausage regularly and crisp the entire surface.