Our Favorite Portuguese Sausages and Cured Meats
The Most Popular Portuguese Sausages and Cured Meats
The first artificial refrigeration was invented by William Cullen, a Scottish scientist, in 1748. First to look like the modern refrigerator appeared in 1913.
But, it was a luxury product! Only a few families had this electro domestic! The solution was to create varied sausages to preserve the meat.
That is a long process. The men kill and cut the animal. Women cut the meat and prepare the blood, bread, and condiments to do the sausages manually. The women are always responsible for the marinate for two to eight days. They mix with a wooden spoon daily.
We select varieties of Portuguese sausage and cured meats you must try.
Read more: Best Things to Eat in Portugal?
What is Portuguese chorizo made?
Chorizo (in Portuguese chouriço) is made with pork meat, fat, flavored with paprika, garlic, salt, and white wine. It is stuffed into natural pork or lamb casing and slowly dried over smoke for eight days.
Chorizo is used in the famous Portuguese soup – Caldo Verde. Another famous dish is chouriço flamejado. The server will bring the sausage to your table on a clay dish with firewater. Then, the server will light it upright in front of you.
Is Portuguese Linguica sausage spicier than chorizo?
Yes, Linguica is narrower than chorizo and with more spices, chilies, and garlic.
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Chorizo Omelette Recipe by Gordon Ramsay
Chef Gordon visited Portugal a few months ago. And he cooked in Portugal. Take a look at this special recipe, Portuguese Chorizo Omelette.
What is Portuguese Morcela?
Morcela is a Portuguese blood sausage. It is made of pork blood, fat, onion, and flour or rice. It includes different spices, such as cloves and cumin, which add to its strong flavor. The Portuguese blood sausage could be served roasted, cooked, or cold.
What is Portuguese Salpicao?
This traditional Portuguese sausage is a pork loin flavored with salt, white or red wine, garlic, paprika, and hot chili pepper. This traditional sausage is originally from the northern region of Tras-os-Montes (where is the Douro Valley). It is served cold and sliced into thin pieces.
Is Portuguese Salpicao sausage spicier than Paio?
Paio is also made of pork loin and flavored with salt and garlic. It resembles the salpicao, but it’s more prominent in diameter. Salpicao is smaller than paio, but Salpicao has more spices. It is also served cold and sliced into thin pieces.
Where can I buy Salpicao Portuguese Sausage?
In Portugal, you can buy at the grocery, supermarket, and butcher.
What is Alheira?
It is made of poultry, bread, olive oil, garlic, and Piri-Piri. This sausage’s name – alheira, is derived from the Portuguese word alho, meaning garlic. The main ingredient used to season.
Portuguese Jews created this sausage to trick the Inquisition. Because they didn’t use pork meat.
Attention doesn’t mean this sausage doesn’t contain pork. These days, you can buy alheira with or without pork. And this Portuguese Jewish sausage is gluten-free!
In the final stages of making, this sausage will spend some time in the smokehouse. Where the bread will lose water and get the flavor from the smoke.
Read more: Eat like a local in Portugal.
What is the difference between presunto and paleta?
The presunto (ham) is made from the pig’s hind leg, while the paleta is made from the foreleg.
In both cured meat, the hoof and the outer skin are left. The production process is divided into several stages: cutting, salting, post-brining (drying), curing, or aging. This cured meat can last up to a year under natural conditions.
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Read more: How can I get to Portugal?
How long does Portuguese sausage last in the fridge?
Smoke Portuguese sausages can last up to three months when stored in a cool and dry place.
Are you longing to travel for a food adventure in Portugal?
Discover the smells and tastes of exciting and historic Portugal. Enjoy small group tours from Lisbon to Porto, including tastings. And then, take cooking classes to test your kitchen skills with a local chef.
These recipes come from chef Rui, our hostess, during a Portugal Food Tours – cooking vacation.
How to make a Portuguese Chorizo Bread
INGREDIENTS (for six people)
300 grams flour
50 ml olive oil
One tablespoon of dry baker’s yeast
150 ml water
150 grams Portuguese chouriço (in English: chorizo)
One teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the flour, baker’s yeast, and salt with your hands in a bowl.
Pour the olive oil and 1/4 of the water. Knead everything with your hands and go slowly pour the remaining water.
Knead the dough well until it’s fully involved and soft. Let the dough rise in a bowl covered with cling film for about 1 hour or until the dough double in size.
Cut the chorizo into slices and reserve.
Divide the dough into six balls and flatten each one with a rolling pin.
Put some chorizo slices in the dough.
Fold the dough over the chorizo and close it with your finger.
Place the bread over a baking oiled, and let the dough rise again for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
Sprinkle the bread with flour and bake until the bread starts to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.
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