Loukanika & Pastourma

[Fallow Buck]

I just rang my gran in Cyprus to see how she was after a recent health scare. While I got her in a chatty mood I asked about the loukanika Recipe and Pastourma Recipe she had. She started talking about all the huge ammounts of sausage they used to make years ago and told me about what she did.

Quantities are rough and I tried as best I could to get her to give me ammounts, but they really worked by sight so here's what I got.

For about 6kg's of pork, (I'd use Fatty Shoulder and belly).

Mince 75% on as coarse a plate as possible and dice about 25% of the meat as fine as you can by hand. they used to do it all by hand but a machine is acceptable apparently!!

Add to the mince in a non metalic bowl:

1 Bottle Red Wine
2 Bottles Red Wine Vinegar
Corriander Seeds (a good handfull or two)
Shinos (same as corriander)
Cinnamon (a couple of table spoons)
Pepper (a couple of table spoons)
Salt (I'd go with about 40g)

I've put guess ammounts in brackets.

She suggested the best way to do it is to put the Corriander and Shino, (wild Juniper) thhrough the mincer with the meatso it get right into the mix.

Soak all the mix for 4-6days turning daily and making sure that the meat draws in all the vinegar/wine. If it needs more then add some. By leaving it for 4-6days the meat effectively cooks and cures, and when the sausages are stuffed they won't let go of the liquor rapidly, but rather hold onto it.

For the Pastourma you make a blend of 3 whole bulbs of crushed garlic and the same volume in red chillies. The chillies in Cyprus aren't very firey so experiment with which ones you use perhaps leaving out the seeds. The mince can be minced a little finer, and you leave out the Shino from the mix.

These recipes are a lng way from the one I posted last year, (which apparently worked out nicely for Zuluzulu, so I'm looking forward to how this comes out. She kept reiterating that the meat needs to be left to draw the wine/vinegar for as long as possible.

I thought I'd post it as it is such a different recipe to any other sausage I've seen that some may find it intreaguing. One thing I will say is that good pork is a definate bonus in this sausage

Rgds,
FB

[Paul Kribs]

FB

You asked me on another thread if I had come up with any recipes.. I did have a go at reproducing the Cyprus Style Pastirma Sausage.

I keep buying the commercially produced ones made by Rezet & Son in Hornsea. They are full of crap, but I find the taste superb so put up with it.

I fiddled about with the listed ingredients and came up with this:-

Cyprus Style Pastirma Sausage

Beef 1000 gram
Salt 10 gram
Paprika 14 gram
Garlic Powder 10 gram
Cumin Powder 8 gram
Black Pepper 2 gram
Sugar 5 gram
Chilli Powder 2 gram

It appears to be quite a way away from your recipe, the biggest difference being the use of beef instead of pork.
I would say that I have both the taste and texture 'spot on' (minced through a 5mm plate) as the commercial product. Where mine lacks is the succulence, and I would put this down to a severe lack of fat. I used beef about 85%-15% VL, I will do the next batch at 65% or 70% VL. I was trying to be healthy, and as we all know to well you cannot skimp on fat where it iis needed in this hobby..

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Fallow Buck]

Hi Paul,

Pastourma was traditionally made with a variety of meat including camel a long way back!!

High fat content is vital in both these sausages. On my first try I got told off fo not having enough fat in them!! I mean properly told off... ;0)



To be honest I don't see your spice mix as being that different. Paprika (crushed dried chillies) and garlic, salt & pepper. Sugar and cumin weren't mentioned but i would say that the cumin is definately authentic to the style of sausage. The problem being that every household had it's own take on things, and would tweak the recipe depending on what they liked.

Soaking the meat in wine/vinegar is again another variation even to today. Some villages make loukanika to be winey, (if that's a word), and others make them to be very dry with very little hint of wine.

The Pastourma has always been a more fnely diced sausage, and to cut a couple into 1cm cubes and fry in a dry pan is a great breakfast when you can fry a couple of eggs in the rendered fat.

I have no space at all in my freezer so I'm not able to ake any big batches of anything at the moment. I have the Merguez waiting to be made soperhaps once that is done....

Rgds,
FB

[Paul Kribs]

I like to dip crusty bread into the hot orange molten fat and eat that.. I can't understand why I can't lose any weight..

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Zulululu]

Hi Fallow Buck,
Interesting post on the Loukanika, I remember we were not sure what shinos was I did use juniper . My mates late dad told me you need to put a plate on the meat to make sure that it remains submerged and explained the meat needs to "drink" the wine before you stuff the sausage. You know where the use of orange comes from ? Could be from the Mainland , but my mate loves the orange peel version. I have read somewhere that they use wild thyme bushes to smoke it , that could give it a lovely flavour.

[Fallow Buck]

Zulu,

Yes I think some orandge zest would be a nice addition in moderation, but as your freind ays it seems the key is to let the meat take up the wine/vinegar rather than just marinade in it.

Shinos, is really an optional ingredient as some people don't like them and omit.

I believe the batch you made were more successfull than mine.

Rgds,
FB

[Rambling Sid Rumpo]

Hi. The shop I buy my loukanika has closed, so I'm going to buy a mincer for my Kenwood Chef and have a go at making my own. What casings should I use?

[vondugan26]

My family is from the Northern part of Evia (Eboia) and the Loukaniko made in that region is also (sometimes) smoked with wild thyme that grows in the forest. The wild thyme in that region smells like a cross-breed between Oregano and Thyme together - it is an incredible herb.

Question my father has always made Loukaniko using two recipe's one with orange peel and one with Leeks being the main flavoring.

Is there any science behind the orange peel having curing properties? I ask because he always says that the orange peel helps cure it. After making the Loukaniko he would hang thhem for about 4-5 days and they would firm up a bit before cooking. The strange part is that the orange peel loukaniko always had a very nice red tint to it after cooking, where as the leek one would remain grey (or whatever color you would associate to cooked pork). Even though the same spices were used ... he does not add any paprika or chile to his - really just used ... (i dont have the actual amounts but i can get them)

wine
salt
pepper
orange peel/ Or Leek
Oregano / Thhyme
Cumin
Garlic


Is there any science behind the orange peel and curing?

[wheels]

Something to do with vitamin C in the orange peel?

Phil

[vondugan26]

I wondered about the Vitamin C myself ... Is this possible?: could the acidity in the orange peel create an environment which was beneficial for the natural nitrates to come out and do their thing?

(Or am I just being silly ...) ?

[wheels]

You're not being silly:

Preservative Effects
Manufacturers add sodium ascorbate to foods to prevent spoilage because of its antioxidant properties. Because this vitamin is water-soluble, not fat-soluble, it cannot prevent fat spoilage. Sodium ascorbate keeps fresh-cut fruit such as apples or peaches from turning brown.

Color Benefits
Ascorbic acid in its various forms, including sodium ascorbate, speeds the curing process that gives cured meat its taste and uniform red color. Sodium ascorbate also helps prevent fading of the red color of the meat. Without additives such as sodium ascorbate, sausage and other cured meats would have a grayish color rather than the more appealing red.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/47803 ... z1XISEXPsj

Sodium ascorbate is a VitC salt.

Or for a more technical answer:

http://www.ascorbicacid.info/22ascorbic ... ducts.html

The color of meat

The red color of muscle flesh and hence also of sausage and meat products is determined by the meat pigments myoglobin and its derivatives and partly also by the blood colorant hemoglobin. These are chromoproteins with a prosthetic group, the heme, the central iron atom of which is responsible for the color changes in the meat. When the meat is stored in air, the iron ion present in divalent form is oxidized to trivalent iron; the initially dark red muscle colorant thereby forms bright to cherry red-colored oxymyoglobin which on further oxidation is converted into the brown-colored metmyoglobin. Myoglobin also shows a similar level of affinity to nitric oxide as to oxygen. Adding on nitric oxide results in nitric oxide-myoglobin, also called nitrosomyoglobin or salt red, which causes the stable red color of salted meat products during storage in air or on frying and boiling.

Phil

[vondugan26]

wow, great info - the old man was on to something (as usual)...

It always amazes me how people figured this stuff out back in the day - (massive trial an error i assume)

[RehctubUK]

FB

You asked me on another thread if I had come up with any recipes.. I did have a go at reproducing the Cyprus Style Pastirma Sausage.

I keep buying the commercially produced ones made by Rezet & Son in Hornsea. They are full of crap, but I find the taste superb so put up with it.

I fiddled about with the listed ingredients and came up with this:-

Cyprus Style Pastirma Sausage

Beef 1000 gram
Salt 10 gram
Paprika 14 gram
Garlic Powder 10 gram
Cumin Powder 8 gram
Black Pepper 2 gram
Sugar 5 gram
Chilli Powder 2 gram

I would say that I have both the taste and texture 'spot on' (minced through a 5mm plate) as the commercial product. Where mine lacks is the succulence, and I would put this down to a severe lack of fat. I used beef about 85%-15% VL, I will do the next batch at 65% or 70% VL. I was trying to be healthy, and as we all know to well you cannot skimp on fat where it iis needed in this hobby..

I have been requested to make a Pastourma sausage for a Cypriot associate. Having read this thread through a few times i think i am going to settle on this recipe as a base to see what my associate thinks of it. However, i think i will use pork instead of beef or a mixture of the two but ensuring i contain the fat needed for texture.

I wonder whether there's a need to include red wine in this recipe or not? There is no mention of a liquid additive here?!

I'd appreciate any comments or further developments someone's had with making an 'Authentic' Pastourma sausage. I plan to create a batch this week sometime.

[wheels]

I don't know the answer, but wine is fairly common in this type of sausage. Beef seems more common than pork.

Whether you add wine or not, I'd add some form of liquid.

Sorry not to be of more help. I only replied as I don't think that the original people that posted this have been around lately.

Hopefully, there'll be another member that can help.

Phil

[Fallow Buck]

Wow!!

I haven't been on this forum for years and I came across this old thread. IT's great to see some many people from back then are still about making great sausages!!

How did the Pastourma turn out RehctubUK?

Regards,
Kiri