Loukaniko greek sausage

[gideon]

I would like to have a go at making some loukaniko sausages, has anyone made these before and if so what recipe did you use? So far the only recipes I've found have been on len Poli's web site, I may try making the fresh version as I have not yet got a smoker.How does the the greek Loukaniko sausage differ from the Italian Luganega?

[aris]

Not made it, but the one defining ingredient is orange peel, and some recipes have wine too.

[J.P.]

Luganega has Orange &/or Lemon zest and wine or vermouth in it too.
And Luganega has Parmigiano in it.

Loukanika has Lamb & Pork in it, and Retsina or Metaxa.
I think it has more garlic too.

[DarrellS]

LOUKANIKA

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Greek Meats

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb Lean pork shoulder, ground
1/2 lb Fresh pork rind
-- boiled for 2 hours,
-- drained, and ground
1/2 lb Pork fatback, ground
1 t Salt
1 Navel orange
-- grated rind only
1 t Crushed dried marjoram
-OR- thyme
1 Bay leaf -- ground in a mortar
1/3 c Dry red wine
1 t Ground allspice or coriander
-OR- both
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Garlic cloves -- crushed
Sausage casing

Grind the pork, pork rind, and fatback through the fine blade of a meat
chopper. Combine in a large bowl with all the seasonings. Knead
thoroughly. Store in the refrigerator while you prepare the casing.

Ususally salted, the casing (pork intestine) especially the interior, must
be rinsed under cold running water several times. (To avoid losing casing
down the drain while doing this, be sure the casing is inside a very large
pan!) Allow to drain on a linen towel.

Use a pastry bag to force the stuffing into the casing. Pinch at 3-1/2 to 4
inch intervals allowing space between to form the sausage links. Normally
the casing will not break, but if it does, that section must be discarded
and a knot tied in the new "end". To cook, poach in water for 1 hour, then
drain, discarding the cooking water. Fry the sausages in a frying pan over
moderate heat, or use as suggested in any recipe. Drain and serve hot.

Note: To store, freeze uncooked in meal-sized batches. The sausages should
be used within a day or two if not frozen.

Source: The Food of Greece, by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles Avenel Books - New
York (ISBN: 0-517-27888-X

Gideon,

Here's a recipe I found on RecipeSource.com
Supposedly autentic Greek

Darrell

[Fallow Buck]

My Gran in Cyprus always made these after soaking the pork in wine for a few days first. I've never made them but in the Autumn/winter when the home reared pigs get killed over there you often used to see baby baths full of meat soaking in red wine and herbs before they got filled.

The consistency of the sausage is also quite coarse with about 30% of the meat being diced finely rather than minced. The main ingredient for authenticity though is a berry called "Shinos" (In greek) It is the size of a pepper corn and is like a wild juniper berry. i donn't know what they are called in English but they are pretty much what makes the sausage.

Greek supermarkets sell them by the jar.

I'll ry and get a recipie and post.

Rgds,
FB

[Epicurohn]

I've made them twice and they're a crowd pleaser when grilled or panfried. I've modified Rytek Kutas' original recipe. I has the following:

Fresh Bacon
Dry Orange Peel
Garlic
Red Wine
Marjoram
Bay Leaf
Salt
etc.

I'll post the complete recipe latter. I also grind it coarse.

I want to make a Mousaka with Lukanika in the tomato sauce.

David

[Vernon Smith]

I remember buying in a good Greek deli in Kentish Town (Little Cyprus) North London, Where I lived in the '70's two greek sausages Loukanika and Pasturma. I am not sure of the spelling of the latter. I recall that both were hung in links in the shop without refrigeration so I assumed they were air-dried and cured like a salami. I think Loukanika is the thin red one and Pasturma was much fatter and brown-ish in colour. My Greek deli owner (Adamous Koumis) - my goodness I even remembered his name - would slice a couple uncooked and share them with me over a glass of Retsina whenever I called in there. Greek hospitality takes a lot of beating. The point I am making is that we ate these sausages uncooked. I preferred the Pasturma which was very peppery and quite fatty but delightful to eat. Has anyone got any further information on this please? The recipes for Loukanika all refer to boiling then frying. I haven't found anything yet on Pasturma and I would like to give it a try, assuming it is a pork sausage. Here in the Solomon Islands I only make sausages from my home grown pork. Get your authentic records out all you sausage gurus and get back to me please.
Regards,
Vernon Smith

[Fallow Buck]

Vernon I posted a recipie for Loukanika somewhere on the site I think. I think you will find thatthe red sausage you remember would be the pastourma and the brown one the loukaniko.

I'm not sure about the recipie for the pastourma but I do know that they are great when cut into 2cm bits and dry fried ina pan. Then break an egg or two into the pan and fry in the rendered oil from the sausages. The best breakfast you can have before a day out shooting or fishing!!

Rgds,
FB

[Oddley]

Vernon did that earthquake out your way, affect you at all?

[Wohoki]

More relevant to Tristar: you OK?

[tristar]

Hi All,

Yes all ok thanks, I am actually still in Africa.
My darling wife and the children were actually away in West Java at the time, they had accompanied some friends and were doing some charity work in a remote rural area, not the kids! just my wife and our friends. So they were very far from the quake area which is in the south central part of Java. It still seems to be a bit of a mess there, with disorganisation and inefficiency fouling things up as usual! But hopefully the survivors who need help will get it soon, unless of course Mt Merapi decides to blow its top!

Thanks for thinking of us anyway.

Best Regards,
Richard

[Wohoki]

Good to hear from you, and all the best to anyone you know who has been affected. I've been to Yogya, and had three very happy months in Java, so I am thinking of you.

[Epicurohn]

Here's Kutas' modified Loukanika recipe:

1-2/3 Tbsp salt
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp leaf thyme
2 Tbsp marjoram
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground bay leaf
2 tsp Dry Orange peel
1 cup red cooking wine
1 tsp Soy Protein Concentrate
120 grm. Rusk

I find full bodied red wines too overbearing on the pork and spices. If you go that way, increase the salt accordingly.

I see different spellings for loukanika all over the net and on texts. I think the Greeks agree on a correct spelling only when using their alphabet.

From what I've gathered from a couple of oldstyle sausagemaking grandmas, in the old days they wouldn't use nitrates to dry or smoke sausages (in these whereabouts). They would use a lot of salt and vinegar or wine; then spice up accordingly. Maybe that's how Vernon's butcher made his Loukanikas. Modern day food inspectors in London would have closed him down though.

[Zulululu]

Hi ,
Fellow buck here is a pic. of the recipe you sent to me did not get hold of the shinos but used juniper as you suggested . My Greek friend loves them especially the smoked ones [/img]

[Vernon Smith]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for your kind thoughts a couple of weeks ago Oddley. Fortunately I am 3,000 miles from the quake. Pleased to hear that Tristar too was far away from the scene. Anyway, Zululu, your loukanika looks just the way I remember it. Please guide me to Fallow Buck's recipe, I can't find it. I might not succeed though, juniper is unheard of here even herbs like thyme and marjoram are difficult to find but I will see what I can do. I am still unclear on storing and cooking. My Greek deli did not refrigerate these sausages which we ate uncooked. They were quite dry similar to salami but not that dry and they just hung in the shop. Any thoughts would be welcome. If I succeed in sourcing the ingredients I will certainly smoke mine but I only cold smoke so I don't expect any cooking in the smoke house to take place.
Regards to all,
Vernon smith