Homemade Portuguese Linguica Food

HOMEMADE LINGUICA PORTUGUESE MILD SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Combine the pork, garlic, salt, paprika, white pepper, oregano (or marjoram), sugar, black pepper and red pepper in a large bowl and mix well. If using cubed pork butt, pass through a food grinder fitted with a coarse die. (Alternately, transfer in 2 batches to a food processor and process until finely ground.) If using ground pork, mix the pork and spices together and proceede to step 2.
• Transfer to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
• The following day, add the wine and liquid smoke to the meat and stir well to combine.
• To test the seasoning, heat the oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
• Smoking the Links:
• Preheat a home smoker to 175 °F.Load the wood chips. I use applewood or cherry. You may use whichever flavor you prefer the best.
• Smoke the sausage for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F. We use an internal thermometer for this which we place inside a link in the smoker. [See Note 3]
• Remove the links from the smoker and use as desired.
• We serve ours with Baked Beans & Brown bread.

LINGUICA (SMOKED PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE)

Steps:

• Rinse fatback thoroughly and soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Remove and chop into small pieces.
• Pour olive oil in a small pan and saute garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not let it brown. Remove from pan and put into a large bowl. Add fatback, pork butt, wine, paprika, milk, vinegar, salt, sugar, liquid smoke, marjoram, white pepper, black pepper, and red pepper and mix until everything is well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
• Test the sausage flavor by frying a small bit of it in a pan and tasting it. Adjust spices if needed and place back in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 more hours.
• Run water through hog casings and rinse out as well as possible. Soak in warm water for 30 minutes.
• Set up sausage stuffing attachment on KitchenAid®. Squeeze out water from a length of casing. Tie one end in a knot, then roll onto sausage making fitting like a condom. Turn KitchenAid® onto medium speed. Feed cold sausage mixture a little at a time into the funnel. Use one hand to keep casing tight and one to feed meat mixture. Twist off links as you get to desired length. Repeat with remaining hog casings and sausage mixture.
• Add several handfuls of hot coal into a smoker to get a base temperature going, then let the temperature die down to about 140 degrees F 60 degrees C). You need a cold smoke to smoke the sausages so it doesn't cook and the skin doesn't get browned.
• When smoker has the right temperature, add hickory wood chunks. The temperature will spike again, so let it cool back down to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).
• Using toothpicks, hang sausages in the smoker as far away from the direct heat source as possible. Maintain temperature at 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) as best as possible. It's difficult - don't sweat it if you get spikes. Just open the smoker door and let heat escape accordingly.
• Smoke until links are deep red and skin is starting to firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from smoker and let rest for 30 minutes. Cook like any other sausage before, either pan-fry or grill, before serving.

LINGUICA PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cut pork into cubes, separating lean meat and fat.
• Measure or weigh; you should have equal parts, or 2 pounds each, fat and lean meat.
• Grind coarsely.
• Combine ground meat in large bowl with remaining ingredients, and mix well with your hands or a heavy spoon.
• Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Shape into patties or links.

LINGUICA PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients and mix well, if you can, leave for several hours so the flavors can develop.
• Stuff into hog casings or make into patties.
• You can omit the liquid smoke and smoke on home smoker until internal temperature reaches 160°.