Spanish Meats and Sausages Embutidos To have a better understanding of Spanish sausages, it is necessary to master the confusing definition costillas de puerco the embutido. As all sausages are stuffed into a suitable casing, they are rightly called embutidos. The following are most popular Spanish sausages.
When cut, the slices are clean with uniform texture holding its shape well, fat particles can be easily distinguished from lean. Chorizos exhibit characteristic color and flavor due to spices, flavorings and processing steps. Ingredients commonly used are salt, pimentón, garlic, black or white pepper, nutmeg, oregano, powdered milk, sugar, curing salts. Chorizo is the most popular Spanish fermented dry sausage. Smoke is applied not for the flavor, but as a part of the drying process, usually to warm up the chamber when the temperature drops low.
Pimentón was brought to Spain by Christopher Columbus so chorizos made before 1493 did not include it and were light colored. In time pimentón has become the most important ingredient for making quality chorizos. Certain chorizo recipes require that only the best quality Pimentón de La Vera be used, for instance Chorizo de Cantipalos – “If it does not contain pimentón de La Vera it is not Chorizo de Cantipalos. Hot and sweet pimentón are often mixed together.
Originally, chorizo was made with lean pork, usually loin, however, today it is a coarsely ground sausage with a generous proportion of fat. There are exceptions, for instance in Chorizo de Pamplona the meat is finely ground. Chorizo de Pamplona and Chorizo de Soria in addition to pork also include beef. Chorizo de Pamplona is easy to recognize due to its finely comminuted meat. It looks almost like salami, however, it is made with pimentón so its color and taste are different. Chorizo de Cerdo Ibérico is a mixture of comminuted meat and fat that must come from Iberian pig only, salt, pimentón, other spices, authorized flavorings and additives, stuffed into natural or artificial casings, submitted to sufficient drying and maturing, with or without smoke, to obtain the characteristic red color and characteristic taste and flavor.
Iberian meat is what separates this chorizo from others and to enforce conformity to official regulations meat inspectors have the right to inspect production facilities of any factory that produces this sausage. This classic, dry chorizo originates in the municipality of Cantipalos in the province of Segovia in Castilla and León, Spain. Longaniza Longaniza is a long pork sausage which can also be found in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. In Philippines the sausage is known as longanisa.
Processing steps for making longaniza are the same as for chorizo so both sausages are closely related. The sausage is occasionally smoked, too. Both sausages contain pimentón, however, in some longanizas pimentón is either not included or added in smaller amounts. Longaniza differs from chorizo in that it is longer and stuffed into smaller than 40 mm casings. There is no lower limit, longaniza can be stuffed in 22 mm and even smaller casings, which are not permitted for chorizo.
Fresh longaniza is available in Spanish supermarkets. It is usually stuffed into 22 mm sheep casings and must be cooked before serving. When salchichón is stuffed into casing smaller than than 40 mm, it may be called longaniza imperial. Llonganissa de Vic also known as Salchichón de Vic is the best known Spanish longaniza. It is made in the province of Barcelona. Llonganissa de Vic carries PGI, 2001 classification. The first references written about sausage from Vic date back to 1456.
In the past, this product was produced in the farms located in the Plana de Vic as a method of preserving meats, taking advantage of the suitable climate conditions of the area. 25 mm, and exhibit the characteristic red color, taste and flavor. As far as materials, ingredients and processing steps are concerned, there is not much difference between Chistorra, Chorizo and Chorizo de Pamplona. Chistorra has the smallest diameter, Chorizo de Pamplona is very finely ground, and most chorizos are coarsely ground. Chistorra is a delicious sausage that can be found in most supermarkets. Processing steps: trimming loin from the outside fat, tendons and membrane commonly known as “silver screen”, dry salting or curing in brine, stuffing into natural or artificial permeable casings, tying or clipping both ends, and drying and maturing.
General characteristics: stuffed loin is made from one whole loin muscle. 40 mm or more and variable length. The casing adheres well throughout the entire length and may be covered with mold. The slices clean and holding shape, the color red or rosy and the texture uniform and solid without having separate muscles.