Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [59]
2 tablespoons/16 grams ancho chile powder (see Note 1 below)
1 tablespoon/8 grams hot paprika
1 tablespoon/8 grams chipotle powder (see Note 1 below) or cayenne powder
1 tablespoon/18 grams minced garlic
1 teaspoon/3 grams freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon/6 grams chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon/0.5 gram dried oregano)
1⁄2 teaspoon/1.5 grams ground cumin
3 tablespoons/45 milliliters tequila, chilled
3 tablespoons/45 milliliters red wine vinegar, chilled
10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
1. Combine all the ingredients except the tequila and vinegar and toss to distribute the seasonings. Chill until ready to grind.
2. Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice (see Note 2 below).
3. Add the tequila and vinegar to the meat mixture and mix with the paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon) until the liquids are incorporated and the mixture has developed a uniform, sticky appearance, about 1 minute on medium speed.
4. Sauté a small portion of the sausage, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. If desired: stuff into the hog casings and twist into 6-inch/15-centimeter links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
6. If using links, gently sauté or roast to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F./65 degrees C. If using loose, sauté until cooked through.
Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty 6-inch/15-centimeter links
[ NOTES: 1. Generic chili powder can be used, but ancho chiles (dried poblanos) have a distinctive sweet, spicy flavor. These chile powders can be found at supermarkets, at specialty stores, and through mail-order. To make your own powder, roast the dried chiles in a 300-degree-F. /150-degree-C. oven until they are very hard and dry, about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then break them open, discard the seeds and stems, and pulverize in a coffee or spice grinder. 2. See pages 107–116 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking techniques. ]
MERGUEZ
A spicy lamb sausage with North African roots, Merguez is popular there and in France. It’s got a distinctive, lamby flavor and a bright red color from the paprika, as well as extraordinary juiciness from the roasted red pepper. Serve with couscous and sautéed bell peppers.
4 pounds/2 kilograms boneless lamb shoulder, diced
1 pound/450 grams pork back fat, diced
11⁄2 ounces/40 grams kosher salt (3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons/5 grams sugar
1 teaspoon/2 grams hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons/18 grams minced garlic
11⁄2 cups/175 grams diced roasted red peppers
11⁄2 teaspoons/5 grams freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons/16 grams Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons/16 grams minced fresh oregano
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters dry red wine, chilled
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters ice water
20 feet/6 meters sheep casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
1. Combine all the ingredients except the wine and water and toss to distribute the seasonings. Chill until ready to grind.
2. Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice (see Note below).
3. Add the wine and water to the meat mixture and mix with the paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon) until the liquids are incorporated and the mixture has developed a uniform, sticky appearance, about 1 minute on medium speed.
4. Cook a small portion of the sausage, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Stuff the sausage into the sheep casings and twist into 10-inch/25-centimeter links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
6. Gently sauté or roast the sausage to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F./65 degrees C.
Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty-four 10-inch/25-centimeter links
[ NOTE: See pages 107–116 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing and cooking techniques. ]
TO ROAST BELL PEPPERS
Raw bell peppers are rather pedestrian