From Culinary Instructor to Delaware’s Sausage King
In one whirlwind year, Chef Billy Rostrom decided to buy a house, have a baby, and open a sausage emporium on the south side of Wilmington, Delaware. The result? My Alley—which means “pig” in Italian—a spot where this former culinary arts teacher channels his chef skills into crafting up to 40 different sausage varieties that push flavor boundaries in unexpected directions.
“I thought what foods do I like, right? How do I make that into sausage?” Billy explained to Guy. That philosophy led him to create everything from pepperoni pizza chicken sausage to the standout that brought Guy to his door: the Thai Curry Chicken Sausage Sandwich.
Building a Thai Curry Sausage from Scratch
What makes Billy’s approach special is that nothing comes pre-made. He grinds chicken thighs in-house using what Guy called a show-off of a grinder—and apparently that’s the smaller one. The sausage mixture combines ground chicken thighs with ground pork fat, garlic, chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, curry powder, white pepper, salt, lime juice, and coconut milk. As Guy put it, “Everything you’d like in a nice Thai meatball.”
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Billy stuffs the mixture into all-natural hog casings, then carefully pokes out any air gaps—but only where the holes are. “I don’t just want to kind of go willy-nilly at it,” Billy noted, prompting Guy’s response: “You don’t want to get all willy-nilly when you’re making your sausage.” The links get poached in water first, then sliced and finished on the grill for service.
The sandwich comes together with an Asian slaw made from shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, kosher salt, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil. It’s piled onto a bun from New Jersey—described as nice and firm with a crispy exterior—and topped with Asian sriracha mayo.
Guy’s Verdict: The Real Deal
Guy didn’t hold back on this one. “You’d be hard-pressed to tell somebody that didn’t come out of a famous Thai restaurant,” he declared after his first bite. He praised the good heat, the curry balance, and the crunch from the slaw. Most importantly, he noted that the sausage itself carries the Thai curry flavor—not just the aioli. “When you call it Thai curry you want it to be Thai curry,” Guy said. “There is no question this is Thai curry.”
The sausage impressed him with its moisture, and by the end, Guy was ready to crown Billy: “He’s the sausage king of Delaware.” Similar to how Guy celebrated Real Deal Soul Food in Savannah, GA, he recognized authentic flavor when he tasted it.
Tips from the Sausage King
Grind your own meat: Billy grinds chicken thighs fresh rather than buying pre-ground, giving him control over texture and quality.
Poach before grilling: The sausages get a water poach first, then sliced and grilled for service—a two-step process that ensures they’re cooked through while still getting that grilled finish.
Be precise with air pockets: When stuffing sausages, only poke where you see air gaps. Going willy-nilly creates unnecessary holes that can cause problems during cooking.
For fans who love seeing unique sausage preparations on the show—or dishes with bold ethnic flavors like Quick Pork Chile Verde—this Wilmington spot proves that Delaware’s food scene deserves more attention. As Guy himself noted, “Triple D doesn’t get out to Delaware enough.”
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