Meats and Sausages
El Xolis
El Xolis is a quality dry sausage made from lean pork, fat and spices that is related to salchichón and fuet. The sausage has been produced for many years in the Pallars area, in the Pyrenees, in north western Catalonia. The sausage is made in December-January and cured in natural chambers. The area sits at around 1300 meters high, so the winter temperatures are cold and the air is pure.
| Meats | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Lean pork from rear leg (ham), loin or butt (shoulder) | 750 | 1.55 lb |
| Pork back fat or dewlap | 250 g | 0.55 lb |
Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat
| Salt | 25 g | 4 tsp |
| Cure #2 | 2.5 g | 1/2 tsp |
| Dextrose | 2.0 g | 1/2 tsp |
| Sugar | 3.0 g | 1/2 tsp |
| Black pepper | 3.0 g | 1.5 tsp |
| Black pepper, whole | 1.0 g | 1 tsp |
Instructions
- Grind meat and fat through 6-8 mm (1/4-3/8”) plate.
- Mix meat with spices and stuff into pork bungs or large diameter casings. Leave both ends open for now.
- Hold for 24 hours in refrigerator. Tie off the ends with twine.
- Hang for 4 days at 8-10° C (48-50° F).
- Place on a flat surface, place a suitable board with a weight on it (wooden planks were normally used) and flatten for 24 hours, of course, at low temperature. El Xolis is a flatten sausage, often “8” shaped. The top groove was usually created manually with fingers.
- Hang at 12-15° C (53-59° F), 80-85% humidity, for 2-3 months.
- Store at 10-12° C, <75% humidity.
Notes
Traditional El Xolis was made without cure #2 and sugar.
