Sausage Making: A Day at Japan's Butcher with 110 Years of History!

Ingredients

• 2 kg Pork Thigh (boneless) (trimmed, cut into 2‑cm cubes; provides fat and flavor)
• 500 g Pork Back Fat (cold, cut into small pieces; essential for juicy texture)
• 40 g Sea Salt (2 % of total meat weight; for brining and seasoning)
• 10 g Black Pepper (ground) (freshly ground)
• 15 g Granulated Sugar (balances salt, aids fermentation)
• 5 g Vinegar Powder (Encho‑sensei) (extends shelf‑life, adds mild acidity)
• 500 ml Ice‑Cold Pork‑Vegetable Broth (frozen broth made from pork bones, carrots, celery, onion; used for emulsion)
• 15 g Fresh Parsley (chopped; for Arabiki garlic herb sausage)
• 5 g Dried Oregano (for Arabiki garlic herb sausage)
• 5 g Fennel Seeds (lightly toasted, crushed; Arabiki garlic herb sausage)
• 5 g Garlic Powder (Arabiki garlic herb sausage)
• 10 g Natsumikan (Summer Orange) Zest (finely grated; for Natsumikan rosemary sausage)
• 5 g Fresh Rosemary (chopped; Natsumikan rosemary sausage)
• 100 g Fresh Spinach Leaves (blanched, squeezed, chopped; green sausage)
• 30 g Jalapeño Peppers (finely diced; chorizo sausage for heat)
• 5 g Paprika (sweet) (color and mild flavor; chorizo sausage)
• 6 m Natural Sheep Casings (soaked in warm water 30 min before use)

Instructions

1. Trim and Cube the Meat

   Using a sharp boning knife, remove all visible blood vessels, membranes, and tough stringy pieces from the pork thigh, shoulder, and back‑fat. Cut the meat and fat into 2‑cm cubes.

   Time: PT30M

2. Salt the Meat (Dry Brine)

   Place the cubed meat in a large bowl, sprinkle sea salt, pepper, and sugar evenly, then toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

   Time: PT1H

   Temperature: 4°C

3. Prepare Ice‑Cold Pork‑Vegetable Broth

   Simmer pork bones with carrots, celery, and onion for 2 hours, strain, season lightly with salt, then pour into shallow trays and freeze solid. Once frozen, break into shards for later use.

   Time: PT2H30M

4. Grind the Meat

   Pass the brined meat through the fine plate of the grinder to create a smooth emulsion (plain base). Run the remaining meat through the coarse plate for the Arabiki, Natsumikan, green, and chorizo batches.

   Time: PT20M

5. Emulsify the Plain Base

   In a mixing bowl, combine the fine‑ground meat with the frozen broth shards. Using a hand‑whisk or stand‑mixer on low, blend until the mixture becomes a glossy, sticky emulsion.

   Time: PT10M

6. Season Each Variety

   Divide the coarse‑ground meat into four portions (≈250 g each). Add the following to each: • Arabiki Garlic Herb: parsley, oregano, fennel seeds, garlic powder. • Natsumikan Rosemary: Natsumikan zest, rosemary. • Green Spinach: blanched spinach, optional carrot leaf. • Chorizo: jalapeño, paprika, a pinch of extra salt. Mix each batch gently until evenly distributed.

   Time: PT15M

7. Soak and Prepare Casings

   Rinse natural sheep casings under cold water, then soak in warm water (40 °C) for 30 minutes. Run water through each casing to check for holes.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: 40°C

8. Stuff the Sausages

   Attach the appropriate stuffing tube to the sausage stuffer. Feed each seasoned meat batch into the tube, gently press to fill the casings, leaving ~2 cm of empty space at the end. Twist every 13 cm to form links.

   Time: PT20M

9. Smoke the Sausages

   Pre‑heat the smoker to 50 °C. Arrange sausages on the rack, add a light layer of cherry wood chips, and smoke for 40 minutes. Monitor temperature with a probe.

   Time: PT40M

   Temperature: 50°C

10. Cool and Dry

    Immediately transfer smoked sausages to an ice‑water bath for 5 minutes, then place on a cooling rack. Hang them in a well‑ventilated area for 30 minutes to set the surface.

    Time: PT35M

11. Final Cleanup

    Wash all knives, grinder parts, bowls, and the stuffer. Sanitize surfaces with food‑grade sanitizer.

    Time: PT30M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

250

Protein

12 g

Carbohydrates

2 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

0 g