Arles Sausage
Photography Photography by Nick Tresidder.
Here’s something for those who would like a challenge. It is surprisingly easy to make your own dried sausages. Sausage stuffing tubes are available for most good domestic mixers. They generally fit onto the grinding attachment. Any good butcher will be happy to sell you some casings and colourquick (saltpetre).
INGREDIENTS
500g lean pork shoulder meat
500g lean beef
125g hard pork fat
30g sea salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon peppercorns – roughly cracked
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons rum or brandy
½ teaspoon colourquick
1 metre natural sausage casings
METHOD
Cut the pork and beef into 5cm dice and slice the pork fat thinly. Mix the meats with most of the salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix the pork fat with the remaining salt and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Next day, soak the casings in cold water and rinse well before use. Using the coarse plate of a meat mincer, grind the pork and beef. Change to the medium plate and grind the pork fat. Alternatively chop by hand using a very sharp knife.
Mix the rum and the colourquick together.
On a board, knead the lean pork and beef with the spices and rum. Add the pork fat and mix well to incorporate. Using the sausage stuffing attachment of a mixer, run the casings on to the tube and proceed to fill with the meat mixture, packing it in tightly to eliminate any air pockets. Tie the sausages to the length desired.
Hang the sausages in a cool, well ventilated room (10–15°C is ideal) to dry for two weeks. Place a tray underneath to catch any drips that may occur. When the sausage is ready, take it down and wipe off the white
powdery coating (this is not mould, but a salty deposit) with a cloth dampened with red or white wine vinegar
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