George Jones’ sausage led to an unusual celebration of the 81-year-old singer. In the aftermath of his death on April 26, George Jones was remembered in Thursday’s memorial at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
That evening, the Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store in Jackson, TN gave away over 1,000 free samples of sausage balls from a recipe originally created by George Jones. The key ingredient was his own George Jones branded country sausage that was sold to restaurants in Tennessee.
Now, you vegans out there are welcome to chuckle, but sausage is a traditional health food down here in the south. I’m not sure that I need any better argument for the life-prolonging evidence of the miracle food than to point to George Jones himself.
The Possum lived a rock star life even before there were rock stars, yet he lived into his eighties and was working and performing almost to the end. In fact, he was in the middle of a year-long concert tour when he passed. So don’t laugh too hard.
Food blogger Libby Murphy said that breakfast was George Jones’ favorite meal of the day — even if he sometimes may have eaten it after partying all night. Hey, maybe that’s when it tastes best, right?
Her blog Twirl and Taste published his step-by-step recipe. For Southerners already familiar with sausage and cheese balls, it’s a classic Bisquick based mix with a twist. Be sure to use Hot George Jones Sausage to get the full flavor.
This is usually just a Christmas season treat for our family. The balls work well as country-style appetizers, and they still taste good even if they cool off.
But there’s no reason why they can’t serve as a tasty breakfast too. You’ve got cheese, sausage, and Bisquick — pretty much all of the food groups except alcohol and caffeine. You can fix that with some Irish coffee on the side.
We’ll remember him first for his music, but the George Jones sausage is a legacy that brings a smile.
[George Jones photo by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com ]
