Turkish Sausage in Tomato Sauce / Domatesli Sucuk

Writer's Note:  Breakfast sucuk, a dry spicy beef sausage, is a time-honored Turkish tradition.  Fried in butter, grilled on the bbq, braised in tomatoes, and even cooked on a spit over an open flame, it is one of the heartiest breakfast treats.  I am particularly fond of sucuk browned in a skillet and then cooked with tomatoes, red peppers, jalapenos, and a little butter.  If you can't find sucuk at your local Turkish grocer, you can order my favorite brand on-line at tulumba.com.

Ingredients:

 1/2 lb. of sucuk, unwrapped, and cut into 1/2 inch half-moons
1 red pepper, cored, and cut into thick 2 inch strips
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes cut into 3-4 pieces
1 jalapeno, cored, and diced
2-3 tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:

Brown sucuk in dry skillet over medium-high heat until slightly browned on both sides -- it will release its own cooking oil after a few minutes.  Add tomatoes, half of the tomato juice from the can, and the peppers and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and the peppers are a little soft.  Add the butter and cook until hot and bubbling.  Soujuk is best served hot straight out of the skillet with fresh crusty bread.  Make sure you plan a 5-K run for later in the day.