5 from 10 votes
Traditional Hungarian Sausage
Traditional Hungarian Sausage is a carefully seasoned pork sausage incorporating both pork butt and back fat, flavored with paprika, garlic, and caraway seeds. It is prepared by curing the meat, grinding, seasoning, then stuffing into hog casings before conditioning and smoking to develop flavor and texture. The process yields smoky, aromatic sausages with a characteristic deep brown exterior.
Prep Time
3 hrs
Cook Time
4 hrs
Additional Time
1 d 16 hrs
Total Time
1 d 23 hrs
Servings:
12
Calories:
386 kcal
Course:
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine:
European, Hungarian
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lbs pork butt
- 1/2 lb pork back fat or pork belly
- 1 3/4 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp salt level, curing salt #1
- 2 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 6 1/2 Tbsp paprika sweet
- 3 Tbsp paprika hot
- 7 cloves garlic pressed
- 3 tsp caraway seeds ground
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup water ice
Instructions
- Cut the meat, and the back fat, into 2" (5-6 cm) pieces, mix with salt and Cure #1. Place in a container, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Grind the pork and the pork belly/back fat (partially frozen for 20 min in a freezer) through a medium-size plate - 1/4" (6mm). You can also chop the meat and the fat finely with a knife.
- Mix the ground meat with the seasonings, adding a cup of ice water. Mix well until the meat becomes sticky.
- Stuff into hog casings (28-32 mm), making 1-foot lengths and tying them into rings. Prick any visible air pockets with a needle.
- Hang the sausage to condition in a cold room at 33F - 38F (like an unheated garage in winter) or refrigerate overnight. Do not let the sausages freeze.
- Dry for about 60 minutes in the smoker at about 110F - 130F without smoke. The sausages should be completely dry before applying smoke.
- Smoke at around 130F for 2-4 hours or until the casings develop a nice brown color. Use oak, beech, cherry, hickory, or pecan wood.
- Next, poach at 161F - 165F for 25 - 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 154F -158F. Alternatively, bake in an oven with convection, with a hot water pan below the sausages, at 175F for about 30-50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 154F - 158F. You can also finish cooking the sausage in the smoker/smokehouse by gradually increasing the temperature in the smoker to 165F-175F-185F and up to 195F. This method is not as easy and may take a long time depending on weather conditions and humidity inside the smoker.
- Cool the sausages down in an ice bath or shower them with cold water and dry them with paper towels. If you have access to a fairly cold room, again, like an unheated garage in winter, just hang them there to cool down.
- Optionally, hang the sausage in a cool room or a curing chamber for 5-7 days to dry at about 55F and 75% relative humidity. This will prolong the shelf life and intensify the flavor of the sausage.
- Store in a refrigerator.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
386kcal
(19%)
Carbohydrates
2g
(1%)
Protein
33g
(66%)
Fat
27g
(42%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
(18%)
Monounsaturated Fat
12g
(60%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
113mg
(38%)
Sodium
1374mg
(57%)
Potassium
632mg
(13%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
742IU
(15%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
33mg
(3%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 386
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 386kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 113mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 1374mg | 57% |
| Potassium | 632mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 742IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 33mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.