Sausages are different. According to the method of preparation, they are divided into boiled, uncooked smoked, fried, semi-smoked and dried (dried). Among the latter there is a long list of already liked sausages: salami (almost the only species that was difficult to find even in the Soviet Union), basturma (a pastrami) and, of course, sujuk. What is this, people have already tasted, and many attributed this sausage to their favorite dishes.
To be thankful for this dish
Like most popular delicacies, many peoples claim authorship for this meat product. Honestly, they all have reason to do so. Even the names in most cases are consonant: in the Balkan countries it is pronounced “Suchug”, in Kyrgyzstan - “Chuchuk”, Kazakhs say “Shuzhuk”, and in Bulgaria, Turkey and the Caucasus - “Sujuk”. What is it if not common roots? However, if we turn to history, we can easily find out what the Ottoman Empire smoked such a sausage around the world , triumphantly marching around cities and villages. It was she who gifted the north of Europe, the Middle East countries, the Balkan states and Asia Minor with a recipe so loved today. It is clear that over time, different peoples made some changes not only in the pronunciation of the name, but also in the recipe, so now the sajuk sausage in different versions has differences in taste nuances.
What are they made of?
It is difficult to say what kind of meat was the basis of this sausage centuries ago. Given that the Turks are still mostly Muslims, it can be said with certainty that they certainly did not cook the same original sujuk from pork. What is it in the modern world? A meat product, which includes lamb, horsemeat, and beef, and parts of a "dirty" animal, and a combination of all types of meat. An indispensable condition is precisely drying, without any other processing, and a huge number of spices, the assortment of which can vary from country to country.
Historical paradoxes
It's funny how the value of such sausage has changed over the past six hundred years that have passed since the moment the sujuk began to spread. What was it in those days? In modern language - an untouchable reserve, a kind of canned food for the rainy day. After all, this product, due to the peculiarities of preparation and an abundance of spices, could be stored for a very, very long time. He was taken on long trips and stored in case of hungry times. Now, Sujuk is a delicacy that does not appear on the table every day. And not on all holidays. Its cost is so high that even on a particularly significant day, not everyone can afford such a purchase.
Sujuk in her kitchen
On the other hand, unlike many other authentic sausages, it can be cooked at home. Of course, home-made sujuk will require diligence from you, and it will take a lot of time to cook it, but the result may even surpass store options. Of the products you need a kilogram of meat. Which one you take is up to you. You can combine two types, for example, beef and lamb; one of them should be somewhere twice as large as the other. If you find horse meat, it is better to combine it with pork, nevertheless horse meat is quite tough. The simplest composition of spices: one and a half tablespoons of salt and sugar, two teaspoons each - freshly ground black pepper, savory and paprika. It’s nice to add half a glass of red “cracker”, but this is not necessary. Varying a set of seasonings is not only acceptable, but encouraged. With successful experiments, you will get a completely unique sujuk, the recipe will be snapped up.
The meat is ground, the minced meat is carefully kneaded and combined with all the seasonings. All this is placed in a shallow bowl and put in the refrigerator for a day to "mature".
The next day, this "stuffing" stuffed intestines. They are sold in meat stores already cleaned and prepared, so that remains to be washed. Stuffing is not too tightly laid so that the shell does not tear and there is a space inside which will subsequently fill up when rolling. Periodically, the intestine must be pierced with a needle. A stuffed sausage is tied on both sides and hung out in the cold. In winter, this is not a problem - the balcony will fit perfectly, but in the summer you need to look for a cold basement or place all the good in the refrigerator.
Shaping
From the second or third day, the sujuk begin to form the necessary shape (remember, most variants of such sausage are flat). At home, this is done with an ordinary rolling pin. At first, while the filling has not yet faded, it is necessary to observe the greatest caution and not to press hard so as not to tear the gut. Roll out from the center to the edges. On average, the drying process lasts from 8 to 10 days.
Cooking options
Note that homemade sujuk can be prepared in many ways. So, some chefs advise stuffed sausage before drying for a couple of minutes to lower in boiling water. This is not quite consistent with the very principle of dried sausage, which should not be subjected to any other processing. But for home cooking, maybe advice will come in handy.
Equally often, there are tips not to hang out the sujuk on a regular roll, but to keep it under pressure. In principle, the result will be the same, and time will be saved.
So try it! Whichever recipe you like, you will use this in the future.