Traditional Swedish sausage 'Isterband'

[grisell]

This is a traditional Swedish semi-dry sausage. It is sour in taste and either only dried or cold-smoked. It can be fried, broiled, bbq:d or cooked in the oven but usually not boiled. It is often served with creamed potatoes or cabbage and usually without mustard. It is fatty and definitely nothing for weight-watchers. Isterband means lard ribbon.

Ingredients:

0.4 litres / 1 1/2 cups barley groats
2 litres/quarts beef stock or water
2 kgs/ 4 lbs 3 oz pork belly
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
6 m/20 ft hog casings
Lactic acid fermentation starter

Directions:

1 Soak the barley in the stock or water overnight.
2 Let simmer in this liquid for one hour.
3 Discard remaining liquid and let cool.
4 Grind the meat coarsely.
5 Mix thoroughly with the barley, spices and starter.
6 Test the seasoning (fry a sample).
7 Add more spices if necessary.
8 Stuff the casings relatively loosely and twist every 10 inches.
9 Tie every second sausage.
10 Cut inbetween, forming pairs.
11 Hang and let ferment and dry in a draughty place, just below room temperature (12-18 C/55-65 F).
12 If it is not available, room temperature will do.
13 Try one sausage after four days.
14 If you want a more sour taste, let hang for another three days.
15 Eat, freeze or cold-smoke.

[rich0148]

hanks

Really interesting - do you know if they are in Denmark? I have only seen Medister - yukkk!