RECIPE : HOW TO MAKE SOBRASSADA |
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Sobrassada is a raw cured ‘salami’, which is a bit misleading as while on the outside it looks like a sausage, the texture inside is like a soft pâté, a fresh spreadable salami mix paste bursting with sweet or smoked paprika, herbs and spices.
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The king of them all is from Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, where it is regulated with specific % of each ingredient including pork cuts, and made from black skinned pigs. The process actually dates back to the 16th Century and traditionally made in the autumn when the pigs when to slaughter and the conditions were perfect for curing. In Spain, pigs differ enormously – how they are kept, what they are fed, how they are slaughtered etc
The spreadable nature and texture of the ‘salami’ make it an absolute delight on rustic or toasted bread or included in the base for many contemporary dishes. |
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In Italy, the equivalent is Nduja (“nud-a-jaa”) traditionally from the Calabria region where some variations use a red pepper sauce.
Both versions call for high fat to meat ratio, and this recipe version is best achieved through using belly pork and your mincer. The larger the casings (or even traditional stomach casing) the longer it will take to cure. Here is a simple version to tuck into after 2 weeks using a standard 34/38 size sausage casing. This amount will make around 15-20 salami about 10-15 cm long. You what to use the freshest pork belly you can find for this. |
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INGREDIENTS
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2.5kg of belly pork (skin off) (Looking for high fat % here)
75g of salt (3% of weight of the meat)* 200g of paprika (sweet, or smoked, or hot – as you prefer) 50g of cayenne pepper 100ml white wine 5g ground black pepper Hog/Pig casings Kitchen String Sterilised Needle *We make our own informed choice on the use of additional nitrates and curing salts. If you choose to use these - swap the 3% in salt to 2.5% salt and 0.25% Instacure #2 / Prague Powder #2. You can read more in our article here : To use or not to use Nitrates (Pink Salts, Instacures)?
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Sobrassada Ingredients
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PROCESS
1. Soak/prepare your casings (put in bowl of water and refresh regularly over 2 hours. And when done, add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar to the water while they sit there.
2. Coarsely mince the pork using a medium plate (5-6mm) if using a meat grinder (if using a meat grinder, it is worth putting your equipment and pork in the freezer for 20-30mins first so it stays firm through the process, or else the grinder action can warm the meat and turn it sludgy. (You can also use a food mixer in small batches if you have pre-cut the meat to smaller manageable chunks. The blender can ‘over blend’ the meat where the heat from the constant friction can partially cook the meat making it chewy. It’s not very nice so pulse the blades carefully.
2. Coarsely mince the pork using a medium plate (5-6mm) if using a meat grinder (if using a meat grinder, it is worth putting your equipment and pork in the freezer for 20-30mins first so it stays firm through the process, or else the grinder action can warm the meat and turn it sludgy. (You can also use a food mixer in small batches if you have pre-cut the meat to smaller manageable chunks. The blender can ‘over blend’ the meat where the heat from the constant friction can partially cook the meat making it chewy. It’s not very nice so pulse the blades carefully.
3. Put the minced pork in a bowl and add the salt and spices and wine to combine thoroughly with your hands. This needs to be done for a good 10 minutes for the fat and spices to blend, and salt to bind to the meat)
4. Now either using our bottle funnel method or your sausage stuffer, load on your hog casings. And start pushing the meat through to full the casing. Remember to not tie the front end until the mixed meat is nearly out the tube.
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5. Tie off the salami into lengths you desire – for a 34/38 casing we recommend around 10-15cm long to be ready in 10-14 days.
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6. Using a sterilised needle or pin, prick the salami all over to release any air bubbles and so as the skin dries it will shrink back onto the meat tightly.
Hang your Sobrassada salami in a warm room (20-25C) for 12-24 hours to allow the natural fermentation process to begin.
Hang your Sobrassada salami in a warm room (20-25C) for 12-24 hours to allow the natural fermentation process to begin.
7. Then transfer to a cool area to hang (max 9C), away from direct sunlight, and where there is some air movement for the next 7-10 days. You can also hang in a domestic fridge (typically 3-4C) but will take slightly longer 10-14 days.
8. To eat, split the skin to reveal the spread inside. To store, keep in the fridge where they will remain moist and spreadable for around 4 weeks. After this they will dry out further and under up like a normal salami.