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From @Cooking with Dog

Japanese Artisanal Pork Sausages

2 hr · Serves 8

2 hrtotal
25 minhands on
15steps
8servings

Watch it

Ingredients

For the sausages

  • 2 kg pork leg, well trimmed of sinew and skin, sliced
  • 500 g pork back fat, cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp vinegar powder
  • 2 tbsp ice water (or vegetable/pork stock)
  • Sheep casings, rinsed and soaked in warm water

For the green spinach sausage option

  • 100 g spinach paste (blanched spinach blended with a little water)
  • 50 g cooked edamame, whole
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp fried onions

For the spicy chorizo option

  • 2 tbsp paprika powder
  • 1 tbsp chili powder or cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp pickled jalapeños, chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic

Method

For the sausages

  1. Trim the pork leg thoroughly, removing all tough sinew, thick fat, membranes, and blood vessels.

  2. Slice the meat into strip-like portions suitable for grinding, keeping the lean meat and fat separated.

  3. Combine the pork and fat with the salt, vinegar powder, and ice water (or stock).

    Then 1440 min of waiting

    Brining the meat before emulsifying develops the natural umami and creates a better texture in the sausage.

  4. Pass the lean pork and fat separately through a meat grinder into fine ground meat.

  5. Place the ground lean pork into a silent cutter or food processor with ice water or frozen stock, and process until it forms a smooth, sticky paste (emulsion).

  6. Add the ground pork fat to the emulsion and mix briefly until evenly distributed.

  7. If making green spinach sausages, fold the spinach paste into the emulsion, then stir in the whole edamame, garlic, and fried onions.

  8. If making spicy chorizo, mix the paprika, chili powder, jalapeños, and garlic into the emulsion.

  9. Fit a sausage stuffer with sheep casings and fill them with the sausage mixture, taking care not to overfill.

  10. Twist the filled casings at regular intervals (about 4–5 inches / 10–12 cm apart) to form individual sausages.

  11. Prick any visible air pockets with a needle to prevent the casings from bursting during cooking.

  12. Hang the sausages on rods in a smoker and dry at 122°F (50°C) for 15 minutes.

    Then 15 min of waiting

  13. Smoke the sausages using cherry or beech wood chips at 140°F–158°F (60°C–70°C) for 40 minutes.

    Then 40 min of waiting

  14. Steam or poach the sausages in the smoking chamber or in water at 167°F (75°C) until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

    Then 15 min of waiting

  15. Chill the cooked sausages in an ice bath immediately after cooking to set the casing and lock in juice.

    Then 10 min of waiting

  16. Using cold or frozen stock instead of plain water significantly enhances the depth of flavor in the finished sausages.

  17. Ensure the meat mixture stays below 50°F (10°C) during processing to maintain the emulsion and prevent the fat from melting.

For the green spinach sausage option

    For the spicy chorizo option

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