Spicy sausages

Usually, when I have good pork and some free time, I make spicy sausages at home. This recipe isn't complicated, but it requires attention to detail, especially when it comes to chopping and mixing. The sausages turn out firm, flavorful, and store well if you dry and smoke them. I've done this several times, especially in winter when there's a cool place for drying.

Quick Info

Total time: 3 days (including drying)
Actual preparation time: 1-2 hours
Drying time: at least 2 days
Servings: about 4-5 kg of sausages (from 5 kg of meat)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: homemade sausages, for winter or grilling

Ingredients

pork: 2/3 lean meat and 1/3 fatty meat (e.g., from 5 kg, 3.3 kg lean meat, 1.7 kg fatty meat)
garlic: 1 head for every kg of meat
ground black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon per kg of meat
salt: about 30 g per kg of meat
dried hot pepper: 1 piece for every kg of meat
paprika: 1 teaspoon heaped per kg of meat
cold water or meat broth (for homogenization, as needed)
hog casings (washed and cleaned)

Preparation Method

1. Cut the meat into suitable cubes for the meat grinder. Mix the lean with the fat to achieve the correct ratio. Grind everything through the meat grinder, along with the peeled garlic cloves and dried hot pepper (grind the pepper with the meat).

2. Place the ground meat in a large bowl. Add the salt, ground pepper, and paprika. Mix very well, kneading for a few minutes to combine the flavors.

3. Start pouring in a little cold water or meat broth, gradually, and knead until the mixture becomes pasty and cohesive. Don't add too much liquid at once; it's better to adjust as you go. In the end, the mixture should be slightly elastic and hold together well.

4. Prepare the casings by rinsing them well in several waters and letting them soak in cold water for a few minutes. Attach the sausage stuffing tube to the meat grinder. Slide the casing onto the tube, tying off one end.

5. Fill the casings with the meat mixture, being careful not to pack them too tightly to avoid bursting. Form sausages to your desired length, tying off the ends or twisting between segments as you prefer.

6. Once you've finished filling, hang the sausages in a cool, well-ventilated place. Let them drain and dry for at least 2 days. I usually hang them to dry at low temperatures.

7. When they are dried, you can smoke them with oak sawdust. The smoking time depends on your taste, but a cold smoke for a few hours gives them a subtle flavor.

8. The spicy sausages can be fried, grilled, or used in various dishes.

Why I Make This Recipe Often

It's a practical recipe when I have fresh meat and want to have homemade sausages for winter or grilling. They store well, I can vary the spices if I want more heat, and I don't have to rely on store-bought sausages. It's easy to adjust for larger or smaller quantities.

Tips and Variations

Tips

Knead the mixture well to achieve a homogeneous texture without air pockets.
Don't overfill the casings, or they risk bursting during drying or smoking.
Choose pork that isn't too lean. If you use only lean meat, the sausages will turn out dry.
Use cold water, not warm, when adjusting the texture of the mixture.
After filling, you can let the sausages air for 1-2 hours before drying to settle well in the casings.

Substitutions

If you don't have dried hot pepper, you can use fresh hot pepper, but chop it finely.
You can use only paprika if you don't want pieces of pepper in the sausages.
Coarse salt works well for sausages, but other types of salt are fine too.

Variations

If you don't want very spicy sausages, reduce the amount of hot pepper or paprika.
You can add a bit of thyme or allspice, but the classic recipe is just with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic.
For thicker sausages, use wider casings (they will take longer to dry).

Serving Ideas

These sausages go well fried, grilled, or boiled in dishes with cabbage, beans, or potatoes. They can be sliced after drying well and served as a cold snack with homemade bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should sausages dry before smoking?
At least 2 days in a cool, airy place. If it's more humid outside, it may take longer.

Can sausages be made without smoking?
Yes, but they will have a different taste and need to be consumed more quickly or stored in the refrigerator/freezer.

How much water is added to the mixture?
Adjust as needed, about 50-100 ml per kg of meat. The goal is to achieve a pasty, not liquid, mixture.

Can artificial casings be used?
It's not recommended for this recipe; the taste and texture won't be the same.

How spicy will the sausages be?
It depends on the type of hot pepper used and the quantity. If you don't want them very spicy, use less pepper or sweet paprika.

Nutritional Values (estimate/100g of final product)

Calories: approximately 300-350 kcal
Protein: 17-20g
Fat: 25-28g
Carbohydrates: 1-2g (from spices)
Values are approximate and depend on the proportion of fatty meat and the amount of water/broth added. Homemade sausages have fewer additives compared to store-bought ones.

Storage and Reheating

After they are dried and/or smoked, keep them in a cool, dry place, away from moisture. They can last a few weeks, even months, if well dried. For longer storage, you can freeze them. They can be fried or grilled directly from the freezer if they are thin. Once sliced, they should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed quickly.

 Ingredients: pork (2/3 lean meat and 1/3 fatty meat) garlic (1 head/kg of meat) ground pepper (1/2 teaspoon/kg of meat) salt (about 30 g/kg of meat) - 1 dried hot pepper /kg of meat - 1 teaspoon /kg of hot paprika - water or meat broth - thin intestines

 Tags:  homemade sausages