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Kulen
Kulen: Slavonian paprika and garlic pork sausage, made fresh and cooked at home
In Slavonia, eastern Croatia, kulen is the prize of the winter pig slaughter: lean pork, plenty of hot paprika and garlic packed into a thick casing and then smoked and air-dried for months until firm and brick-red. Long home dry-curing needs controlled rooms and curing salts, so this recipe makes a safer fresh kulen-spiced pork sausage, rested overnight in the fridge and cooked through to 71 °C. If you want the real cured kulen, buy it sliced from a good deli; it is eaten uncooked, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Serve the fresh sausages hot with bread, pickled peppers and sour cream or ajvar. A common mistake is letting the meat get warm while mixing, which makes it crumbly. Chef's tip: chill the mince and the bowl until icy before you start.
- Total time
- 1485 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the sausage
- 2 lb lean pork shoulderwell chilled, cubed
- 5 ½ oz pork back fatwell chilled, cubed
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 ½ tbsp hot paprika
- 5 garlic clovescrushed to a paste
- ⅝ oz salt
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- ½ tsp ground caraway
- ¼ cup ice-cold water
- 2 m natural hog casingssoaked and rinsed
To cook
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
To serve
- 6 pickled peppers (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put the 2 lb lean pork shoulder and 5 ½ oz pork back fat in the freezer for 30 minutes, until stiff at the edges, along with your mincer parts or food processor blade.
30 minStep 2: Mince the meat and fat through a coarse 8 mm plate, or pulse in short bursts in a processor, into a well-chilled bowl.
10 minStep 3: Add the 2 tbsp sweet paprika, 1 ½ tbsp hot paprika, 5 garlic cloves, ⅝ oz salt, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground caraway and ¼ cup ice-cold water and mix firmly with cold hands for 3 minutes, until the mince turns sticky and binds.
5 minStep 4: Fry a teaspoon of the mixture to taste for salt and heat, and adjust. Then fill the 2 m natural hog casings loosely with a sausage stuffer or wide funnel and twist into 15 cm links; or shape into thick logs if not using casings.
20 minStep 5: Lay the sausages on a tray, prick any air pockets with a needle, cover and refrigerate overnight (12–24 hours) so the flavours develop and the meat firms up. Never leave them at room temperature.
0 minStep 6: Bring a wide pan of water to 176°F, a gentle shiver with no bubbles. Poach the sausages for 20–25 minutes, until a thermometer in the centre of the thickest one reads 160°F.
25 minStep 7: Heat the 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the poached sausages for 6–8 minutes, turning, until crisp and deep red. Serve hot with 6 pickled peppers (and bread if gluten is not a concern). Keep cooked leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
8 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kulen take?
- About 1485 minutes in total: 1440 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
- What can I use instead of hot paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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