Basic dry cured sausage recipe

Ingredients

• 4 kg meat
• 1.5 kg back fat
• 150 g salt (regular or nitrite salt)
• 10 g cloves
• 10 g black pepper
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 dl cognac
• 4 dl red wine
• 150 g sugar
• 0.4 g starter culture

Brine for the fat

• 2 dl salt
• 5 dl water

The fat should rest in brine for at least 5 hours to prevent rancidity.

Method

Mince the meat four times together with half of the fat. Cut the remaining fat into small cubes.

Mix the meat with salt and spices, and add the liquids gradually while mixing. Fold in the fat cubes at the end.

Stuff the sausages firmly into casings and prick out any air pockets. Moisten the casings well before stuffing.

Place the stuffed sausages on a tray, sprinkle lightly with salt and let them rest for three days, turning them once a day. When they feel slightly firmer, hang them for smoking.

Smoke the sausages for six to eight hours, then hang them to dry cure.

Once the curing is finished, vacuum pack the sausages to prevent them from drying out and becoming too hard.

Note: Sugar is food for the lactic acid bacteria. The total amount of sugar in the farce influences how active they are and how tangy the sausage becomes. More sugar means more activity and a sharper acidic note.