How to make a breakfast fatty on the smoker

A breakfast fatty is a pound of bulk breakfast sausage pressed flat, filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, and other breakfast fillings, rolled into a log, and smoked until the center reaches 160°F. At 250 to 275°F it usually takes about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, and you slice it into thick rounds to serve.

It's a pitmaster favorite because it's simple, it travels well, and the leftovers make great breakfast sandwiches.

Ingredients

One fatty serves about 4 to 6 people.

• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage (mild, hot, or maple)
• 3 large eggs, scrambled soft and cooled
• 1/2 cup cooked shredded hash browns, cooled
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack
• 1/4 cup diced onion and bell pepper, sautéed and cooled
• 10 to 12 slices regular bacon for a weave (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ rub
• A gallon zip-top freezer bag

Steps

1. Put the sausage in the gallon bag, press out the air, and seal it. Use a rolling pin or your hands to flatten it into an even layer that fills the bag, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
2. Chill the flattened bag for 15 to 30 minutes. Cold sausage is much easier to roll.
3. Cut the bag open along both sides with scissors and peel back the top layer.
4. Spread the cooled eggs, hash browns, cheese, and vegetables over the sausage, leaving a 1-inch border on every side.
5. Using the bottom of the bag to lift, roll the sausage up tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam and the ends closed so the filling can't leak.
6. If using bacon, build a 5x5 or 6x6 lattice weave on a sheet of plastic wrap, set the log on it, and roll the weave around the sausage.
7. Season the outside with your rub.
8. Preheat the smoker to 250 to 275°F with apple, cherry, or pecan wood.
9. Set the fatty seam-side down on the grate and smoke for about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of the sausage reads 160°F.
10. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice into rounds about 1 inch thick.

Why fillings should be cooked and cooled first

Everything inside the fatty should go in already cooked, because the filling only warms through while the sausage cooks. Raw eggs or raw potatoes won't reliably cook inside a sausage log. Cooling the fillings matters too: warm eggs soften the sausage and make it tear when you roll, and they can keep the raw meat in an unsafe temperature range longer than it needs to be.

What internal temperature is a fatty done at?

Ground pork sausage is done at 160°F, the temperature the USDA recommends for ground pork. Check the sausage layer itself, not just the cheesy center, by angling the thermometer so the tip sits in the meat. If you used ground turkey or chicken sausage, cook it to 165°F.

How do I get crispy bacon on a fatty?

Bacon on a fatty often stays soft at low smoker temps. If you want it crisp, let the fatty reach about 150°F at 250 to 275°F, then raise the cooker to 325 to 350°F, or move the fatty over direct heat on a grill, for the last 10 to 20 minutes. Turn it once or twice so it browns evenly, and pull it when the center hits 160°F. Watch for flare-ups from dripping fat.

How to keep the fatty from splitting

Splits usually come from overfilling or from rolling the sausage too thin. Keep the filling to a thin layer, leave a border, and pinch the seams well. A bacon weave also helps hold everything together. If a crack opens while it cooks, set it crack-side up so the cheese stays inside.

Filling ideas

• Sausage, egg, and cheese is the classic. Add sautéed peppers and onions for a western-style version.
• For a biscuits-and-gravy fatty, use cheddar inside and spoon warm sausage gravy over the slices.
• Spinach (squeezed dry), mushrooms, and Swiss make a lighter-tasting filling.
• For a sweet and savory version, use maple sausage with cheddar and a thin layer of cooked diced apple.

Serving and leftovers

Serve slices on their own, on a toasted English muffin or biscuit, or alongside a pan of smoked breakfast casserole when you have a crowd to feed.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. They keep about 3 to 4 days covered in the fridge and reheat well in a skillet or microwave until hot in the center. Cooled slices also freeze well wrapped individually.

Handling raw sausage safely

Wash your hands, counters, and rolling pin after handling raw sausage, and keep the raw meat away from cooked fillings until they're inside the roll. Use a clean plate and tongs to take the cooked fatty off the smoker, not the ones that carried it out raw.