Fra'Mani Spicy Italian @ Costco!

[lexdevil]

Today the Richmond Costco had pre-cooked vacuum packed Fra'Mani Spicy Italian Sausage 3 lbs. for $12.99. Bought some.

Other goodies I have not noticed before included whole Prosciutto di Parma from Citterio for $8.59 per lb. and vacuum packed sliced Serrano Ham from Campofrio 10.5 oz. for $11.49. Passed on these.

Mexican Coke is in stock at the moment as well. Bough some.

[FireSheep]

Yikes! Avoid the Campofrio Jamon Serrano at all cost. You can get better jamon from The Spanish Table at about the same cost.

[lexdevil]

Thank you for the warning. I thought it looked pricy.

[oakjoan]

Are we still talking Costco here? El Cer/Richmond branch?

[lexdevil]

Yup.

[Xiao Yang]

Everything that's been said applies to the SF Branch, too.

[Judith]

Mexican coke also in stock at the Costco in SJ, there was plenty on Saturday.

[Xiao Yang]

I saw the sausages at the SF store too, but passed on account of the all-too pedestrian fat and sodium content. It was odd seeing them in the same price range and quantities as Amy's and Aidell's. There must be quite a few busy little mani at work making them.

The SF Costco also has had the P di P and Serrano ham products for some time now.

[lexdevil]

Richmond has had the sliced Prosciutto di Parma in the past, but this is the first I've seen the uncut whole.

p.s. What's sausage w/out fat and salt?

[Robert Lauriston]

What do you mean "pedestrian fat and sodium content"? Traditional?

Fra'Mani was built with the intent of national distribution.

[Xiao Yang]

I just recall the hoopla that seemed to leave the impression on exited foodies that it would be something special and artisanal, not something in the Aidell's/Amy's class (well, forget Amy's as she only does chicken, it seems). Aidell's though, manages to make tasty products with considerably less fat than the Fra'Mani label indicated. Fra'Mani's seemed at the Evergood level.

[JasmineG]

Hmm, when I am looking for sausage, the level of fat isn't something that I've ever considered when thinking about its quality.

[lexdevil]

Aidells has long focused on turkey and chicken sausages, while Fra'Mani has been about the pig from day one. The fat comparison is really apples to oranges.

Additionally, I don't think a lower fat or sodium content has ever been a goal of the artisan salumi/charcuterie folks I like best. There are no labels to divulge the ugly truth, but I doubt that many of the sausages in the Fatted Calf line are lower in fat than Fra'Mani. It's just a fact of life that pork sausages are going to be fatty unless they're dry and nasty or are doing something non-traditional (like Dibrova's use of potato and pumpkin).

Here's a decent comparison. A Fra'Mani link lists at 220 calories, 150 from fat (68%). Aidells' andouille (one of the few pork sausages in the line) is 170 calories, 110 from fat (65%). The Fra'Mani link has 700 has miligrams salt, the Aidells 620. A Fra'Mani link weighs 4 ounces, but the Aidells link weighs only 3 ounces. Controlling for size, the Fra'Mani sausage has less sodium than the Aidells sausage. The calories are in a virtual dead heat per ounce. The difference in fat is negligible. Some of the other Aidells pork items appear even worse (240/170/720), but I think they may be larger (they're only sold at farmers markets, so I couldn't tell based on information on the website).

[Xiao Yang]

In any event, lower fat and salt content is a goal of ME ;-)

I don't want to get it from McDonalds, or from Fra'Mani....

[lexdevil]

An admirable goal. Sadly, I dig on the swine too much to join you.

[Xiao Yang]

I love pork too, probably next to lamb among all meats. I'm looking forward to trying Fra'Mani, but not eager to buy it in 3-lb. quantities.

[lexdevil]

Thankfully the 3 lbs. is split into two bags of 6 links each. Still a lot unless you've got family.

[oakjoan]

I've bought both the hot and mild Fra Mani sausages as well as the breakfast ones (mattinate). All were verrrry good. They've had them at BerkBowl for several months now.

And what's the problem with 3 lbs....I always have sausages in the freezer for use in sausage and broc. rabe over pasta.

Yuck, though, I just noticed the "precooked" part of the message. I dunno if I could go with that.

[lexdevil]

Yup, I still need to see how they are. The Costco pack is definitely pre-cooked like much of the other supermarket stuff. I doubt it can match fresh, but if it's close at all, the price cannot be beat.

[wally]

Then you probably shouldn't even look at sausage, no matter whose it is.

[Robert Lauriston]

Aidells was a lot more fat-friendly before Bruce Aidells sold the company. The new owners stopped making his great smoked duck sausages and reformulated / ruined his once-great chorizo. The andouille's still good but that's by its nature a lower-fat sausage.

[Xiao Yang]

Maybe his wife should have taught him what can be done with lean pork.

[santoku45]

Amen. The sausage marketers have displaced the sausage makers. Now we get pineapple teriyaki meatballs.

[Hachimachi]

Nice find. I wonder how that came about. How were they?