Portuguese Sausage- A Family Tradition

A bunch of Portuguese sausage hanging on a rack drying

Portuguese Sausage- A Family Tradition

How to make homemade Portuguese sausage (chourico) step-by-step the traditional way.

Course Main

Cuisine Portuguese

Keyword chourico, portuguese sausage

Prep Time 2 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 7 5

Servings

Calories 1126kcal

Author Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell

Ingredients

64 pounds Trimmed pork butt cut into small cubes
2 cups Garlic cloves each clove cut in half
1 1/2 cup Kosher salt
6 liters White wine any inexpensive white wine will do
14 ounces Paprika we use McCormick paprika
1 1/2 ounces Black pepper
1 ounce Ground cayenne pepper
10 Bay leaves
40-50 Sausage casings depending on the size of the casings

Instructions

Start by trimming most of the fat off the pork. You want about 80% meat and 20% fat. Also remove any sinew or gristle from the meat.
Cut pork into 1-inch cubes.
Place all the cubed pork, garlic cloves, salt, wine, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves in a large bowl. Mix everything together making sure all the seasoning is evenly throughout the pork. Try not to break down the bay leaves because they will have to be removed before filling casings.
Cover the bbowl with plastic wrap to seal and place the meat in the refrigerator. Every 12 hours remove the meat from the refrigerator and mix well. You'll do this for 2 days.
Test your seasoning level at every mixing. Cook a handful of pork in a skillet and taste it. If more seasoning is needed you can add it to the uncooked meat mixture. Remember when smoking, the pork will lose a lot of flavor. I highly recommend over seasoning.
After the meat has marinated for 2 days it is time to fill the casings. Prepare the casings by rinsing each of them a few times. Check for holes or defects. Using baking twine, tie off one end of each casing.
Prepare the meat mxiture by removing all the garlic cloves and bay leaves.
Place a 1-1.5 inch funnel into the open end of each of the sausage casings. While holding the casing on the end of the funnel begin to fill the casing with the pork mixture. Slowly work the meat to the end of the casing so it is tightly filled.
You don't want any excess air in the sausage casing. To remove it use a safety pin or needle to gently pop any air pockets. Continue to press the sauasge mixture down into the casing to fill up the space. Pro Tip: tie a long colorful string to the needle so it doesn't get lost in the process.
When each casing is filled use butcher's twine to tightly tie off the open end of the casing.
Once all of the sausages are made it's time to smoke them. Please note these instructions are for the large, brick smoker that we use. You'll have to adjust the instructions to match whatever kind of smoker you are using.
Place the filled sausages onto a stick that is will suspend them over the fire. Make sure that the sausages are spaced apart so that they are not touching.
Build your fire and begin smoking the sausages. Be careful that the flames do not reach the sausage. Remember, low heat and lots of smoke for a long period of time. Keep an eye on the fire for flare ups and make sure the fire does not go out.
After 24 hours, let the fire go out, flip the sausages. Then start the smoking process over again. At this point when you flip them, you will need to determine if you are halfway done or if it will take longer than an additional 24 hours. This is tricky, and where experience comes into to play. Smoking for 24 hours on each side is usually the minimum. An additional day or two may be needed.
When your sausage has finished smoking, bring them indoors and hang them to dry for place them indoors and let them dry.2-3 days.
Once it has dried you can eat it immediately or store for later use.

Notes

Nutritional value is for 40 large chourico links.

Nutrition