Meats and Sausages
Morcilla Blanca de Jaén
White Sausage of Jaén (Morcilla Blanca de Jaén) is a popular product of Jaén province of southern Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. The Jaén province is surrounded by mountain ranges and national parks. Olive oil, which is delicious and in abundant supply throughout the province, gives flavor and personality to the cuisine of this area. The oak forests known as “dehesas” provide abundant supply of acorns which are the main food of free roaming Iberian pigs (cerdo Ibérico). The capital of Jaén province is Jaén city, also known as the “Holy Kingdom”. This is because the area we know today as Jaén province, was long ago a kingdom, ruled first by Moors and then by Christians.
| Meats | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Pork head meat | 250 g | 0.55 lb |
| Meat from other animals * | 500 g | 1.10 lb |
| Pork dewlap | 250 g | 0.55 lb |
Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat
| Salt | 28 g | 5 tsp |
| Pimentón | 6.0 g | 3 tsp |
| Eggs | 4 eggs | 4 eggs |
| White pepper | 2.0 g | 1 tsp |
| Sugar | 5.0 g | 1 tsp |
| Parsley, chopped | 1 Tbsp | 1 Tbsp |
| Nutmeg | 0.3 g | 1/8 tsp |
| Cinnamon | 0.5 g | ¼ tsp |
| Almonds | 28 g | 1 oz |
| Garlic, smashed | 3.5 g | 1 clove |
| Sherry wine | 30 ml | 2 Tbsp |
Instructions
- Grind meats through 6 mm (1/4”) plate. Beat the eggs.
- Mix meats with eggs and all ingredients. Hold for 24 hours in refrigerator.
- Stuff into 30 mm pork or beef casings forming rings about 25-40 cm (10-16”) long. Tie the ends together.
- Hold at 20-25° C (60-77° F), 75-85% humidity, for 10 days.
- Store at 20-22° C (60-71° F) 70-75% humidity or refrigerate.
Notes
* the is the traditional sausage recipe for making Morcilla Blanca de Jaén that was adapted from The National Catalog of Hams and Sausages published by The Spanish Department of Agriculture (Catalogo de Embutidos and Jamones Curados de Espańa-Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion). The recipe includes a half of meats from other animals, light poultry meat, for example a chicken breast. Beef or wild game will make the sausage darker. The sausage was not cooked, but cured.
Nowadays, the sausage is cooked and most recipes list head meat (the tongue included), dewlap and pork belly. Occasionally saffron is added to paint the texture of the sausage yellow.
Consume raw, fried or cooked in water.
Nowadays, the sausage is cooked and most recipes list head meat (the tongue included), dewlap and pork belly. Occasionally saffron is added to paint the texture of the sausage yellow.
Consume raw, fried or cooked in water.
