Sausage in the Baja Wine Country

There are times in life when “independent and free-spirited souls” can’t find what they love and crave, so they’re forced ton make it themselves. In fact, desperation and craving often lead to innovation or creativity, sometimes followed with a high quality outcome. I’m not talking about Charlie Sheen here, this is the story of Mike and Angele Emerson of Baja Sausage. This dynamic couple met in Los Angeles (she from France, he from San Gabriel Valley) and moved to Baja California about seven years ago. During a recent interview Mike told me that he’s always enjoyed breakfast sausage, but was unable to find any quality sausage in the Ensenada region. These were the days before the U.S. chain superstores moved into the area. After a year long search in local markets, he finally decided to try crafting his own sausage. This was the birth of Baja Sausage.

Mike is a self-taught cook, but he grew up watching his Spanish grandmother from Barcelona create culinary delights for his family in their Los Angeles kitchen. Thus with a basic knowledge of gourmet cooking, he gathered as many sausage recipes, tips, formulas and data he could find, blended the best of them together, and started making a diverse selection of gourmet sausage. Very shortly his friends were asking Mike where he bought the sausage, learning that he was the source, they requested he make and sell more to them. Today, many of the top culinary establishments in the region purchase his fine selection of gourmet sausage to include: Country Breakfast, Sicilian or Italian-style, Bratwurst (German) , Mergues (French), Kielbasa (Polish) and Louisiana Red Hots.

Baja Sausage is sold under the Angele Gourmet label. Angele is the company representative, she handles bookkeeping, assists Mike in the sausage kitchen and develops new gourmet products. Currently Baja Sausage sells about forty kilos of sausage per week on a retail and whole basis, with plans to expand production and their gourmet product line in the near future. Some of those new products will include: gourmet sausage-based sauces and cured meats.

In the kitchen, Mike and Angels team up to make a batch of Italian sausage for me, using fresh basil, fennel seed, red wine, garlic. crushed chili, oregano, blended into premium meats which are locally purchased from wholesale butchers. The processing room is cool and spotless, supplemented with the finest stainless steel sausage making equipment. Their U.S. made sausage-stuffer produces ten kilos at a time, requiring the skills of both Mike and Angele working in harmony to perfect the technique. The end result of this effort, sampled in my home kitchen, reveals a dynamically, delicious Italian sausage, rich and full-flavored.

The birth of Baja Sausage comes at the perfect moment in history with the emergence of the wine culture in Baja California Norte. This further validates my claims that Ensenada has become the “Wine and Gourmet Culinary Capital of Mexico.” Life just keeps getting better and better here in Mexico. Mediterranean living along the Pacific, ocean and bays loaded with fresh seafood, nearby wine country, and abundant artisan products make this “the destination for folks who love the good life.” Factor in the affordable cost of living, and the arrival of Baja Gourmet Sausage, it doesn’t get any better than this! You can contact Baja Sausage at (646) 174-6742 ~ bajasau This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ~ www.bajasausage.com

Steve Dryden is a wine, cuisine, and film writer living in Guadalupe Valley where he guides small group wine tours. He can be reached at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Visit his blogs: www.bajawineandfood.com or www.winefoodguide.com

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