MAKE IT! Longaniza
Longaniza is a pork sausage related to chorizo. The version I propose making (and there are many, from the Philippines, to South America, to Spain) is from Southeastern Mexico. Longaniza, like chorizo, comes in dry cured and fresh varieties. This is a fresh sausage.
Beyond my interest in charcuterie, I was delighted to find a recipe that features bitter (Seville) oranges, which I have been lately extremely excited about using. Seville oranges are now becoming more readily available in the United States. (If you don't think you can get your hands on Seville oranges there is a substitution you can make.)
Achiote (annatto seed) paste can be found in the Mexican aisle of your grocer or at Latino markets (or see link below). Hog casings can be ordered in advance from your local butcher in specified lengths at a per foot price or purchased online at Butcher & Packer or Sausage Maker (see link below for inexpensive purchase of a small quantity).
Longaniza Tabasqueña
--adapted from My Mexico by Diana Kennedy
2 lbs well-marbled pork shoulder
14 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
a heaping 1/4 tsp lightly roasted cumin seeds
1 TBS achiote paste
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS bitter orange juice*
approx 4 ft hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
Trim the sinew from the meat and cut it into small cubes. Grind (or chop VERY fine) the meat, using the small dye of a meat grinder. Refrigerate the meat.
Grind the salt, peppercorns, and cumin seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Smash the garlic to a paste and combine with the spice mixture and the achiote. Dilute with 2 TBS bitter orange juice. Take the meat from the refrigerator and gently mix it together with the garlic-achiote-spice paste. Add the rest of the bitter orange juice little by little. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Next day, rinse then soak casings in tepid water for 30 minutes. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and stir the meat well to distribute the juices that have collected in the bowl. Stuff the meat into the casings, fairly loosely, making approx 11 inch lengths (You should get about 3 long sausages). Tie securely and hang to dry in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Typically this type of longaniza is grilled whole. It will keep in the fridge for approx 3 weeks, but will continue to dry out. You can coat it lightly with lard and freeze it after the first three days of drying if you want to keep it longer than that.
If you can't get your hands on Seville oranges, substitute their juice in the recipe with this:
2 TBS fresh grapefruit juice
2 TBS fresh orange juice
1 tsp finely grated grapefruit rind
1/4 fresh lime juice
Mix together about 1 hour before using.
As usual, send me your photos and impressions and I will post them in roughly a month's time.
