Sobrasada red sausage: types and recipes

Sobrasada is the most distinctive and appreciated product in the Balearic Islands. But is not unique to Mallorca, is also made in many other parts of Spain. We find three different types of Sobrasada, depending on the breed of the pig:

• ‘Porc negre’ (black pig for Spanish): from Balearic Islands
• Iberico (Iberian pig): from Extremadura, Andalusia and Castilla mainly.
• White pig: from all other parts of Spain, especially in the north (Teruel and Pyrenees).

The three types are delicious, and the taste is not too much different. The largest difference is due to the recipe. Each area, even each village, Sobrasada is made in different ways, with their own artisan and traditional methods. 

The Sobrasada looks like a sausage, because the mixture is stuffed in natural casings, but actually, the texture is more like a soft pâté. When eaten on its own, it’s usually spread on a toast with a slice of Manchego cheese. Many chefs say that Sobrasda is the best pâté in the world.

We’d love to show you how we made the Sobrasada, so here you have a homemade sobrasada recipe by now:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 of pork tenderloin
• 1/3 fatback and lard in equal proportions
• Salt
• Pepper
• Hot paprika

Preparation:

Mince the meat finely, fatback, and lard and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Fill natural casings with the mixture and cure the sausages in a cool place of about 50ºF. How long time has to be cured? Two months for thinner sausages (2 inches in diameter), four months for thicker ones (3 and 5 inches).

RECIPE: Sobrasda with beans and Spanish Cheese

Ok, four months later we have our own Sobrasada cured and ready to be eaten. How can we cook it? In a toast as stated above, or for example in the following recipe way:

Ingredients:

• 150gSobrasada
• 400g cooked white beans
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• 1 large tomate (pureed)
• 2-4 slicesof Spanish Cheese
• ExtraVirgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a low heat. When the onion is brown add tomato and stir all for a while. Add white beans and cook for 5 minutes. Place all into a cazuela (terracotta tray) and spread the Sobrasada on the top. Then place some Spanish Cheese slices. Grill for a few minutes and it’s ready to enjoy it.

¡Que aproveche!

Spanish Chorizo: spicy red sausage

Chorizo is one of the most famous sausages of Spain. Picante (spicy) or Dulce (sweet), there are many types of Chorizo. Each region or village makes it in its own way, with different ingredients and quantities, but basically is a red pork sausage with paprika and garlic.

You can find Chorizo curado (cured) or fresco (fresh) in every store in Spain. Cured is not cooked normally, but fresh is used to accompany a lot of dishes and recipes (always grilled or fried). Many times a group of friends meet in the countryside or the beach to have a good meal cooking grilled chorizo, chuletas (pork chops), sausages, black pudding… As in the photo

There are more types of chorizo in the world:

• Portuguese chouriço: pork, fat, wine, paprika and salt. Stuffed into natural casings and slowly dried over smoke.
• Mexican chorizo: similar to fresh uncooked Spanish chorizo, it’s made from fatty pork, but you can find beef, vernison, kosher or vegan versions. Secret ingredient: chilli peppers.
• Brazilian linguiça: chouriço refers to blood sausage, and linguiça to a normal pork sausage.
• Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic: smoked, well-seasoned sausage very similar to the smoked Spanish version.
• South America: deep red colour mixture of chopped pork meat, pork fat, salt, pepper grains, cinnamon, achiote and other spices.
• Goan chouriço: Indian chorizo is a legacy of Portuguese community. It’s a deep red por sausage links made from pork, vinegar, chilli, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmenic and other spices, and is extremely hot.
• Philippines: Chorizo-making has a long tradition in the Philippines, with each region having its own speciality. This type of sausage is cured and available in the Spanish style.

But how many types of chorizo are in Spain? Well, each region, village or family has its own way to make chorizo. There are lots of different recipes. We’re going to see a few of them:

Dry Spanish Chorizo

• Cantimpalo: typical from Salamanca, Segovia and Valladolid in Castilla y Leon region.
• Pamplona: similar to Italian salami, but with less fat.
• Leon: contains a lot of garlic and its flavour is really hard. It can be cooked.
• Leon Herradura: made with the famous Pimenton de la Vera (type of Spanish paprika), normally in the shape of a horseshoe.
• Soria: Thick large brick like paprika flavoured, made from meaty chunks of pork loin.
• Blanco (White): made with pork loin, garlic and spices and white colour, similar to Italian soprassatta but with its distinctive aroma.

Semi-cured Spanish Chorizo

• Bilbao: naturally air-dried sausage made from pork and well-seasoned.
• Pirineo (Pyrenees): really hard and smoked.
• Teruel: hard spicy red sausage. Teruel is maybe the capital of chorizo and pork in Spain. Many people thinks that the best Spanish ham and sausages or chorizo come from Teruel.

One thing is sure, there are many types of chorizos and sausages, especially in Spain, and all are delicious, but the best is from Teruel: land of chorizo, Spanish ham and all kind of pork meats. 

Spanish Tapas: a whole world

Nowadays the Spanish term tapa is known around the World. We usually eat tapas at trendy Spanish restaurants, which are springing in many countries as UK or USA. Spanish food is in vogue, because of its simplicity, its healthy ingredients, and above all, its flavours: distinctive and strong, but pleasant and delicious.

But we know what really the tapas are? How are the real tapas in Spain? How many types of tapas can we find? Or how the Spanish eat them?

We can define Tapas are titbits eaten with drinks at a bar. Normally eaten before a full meal, but not exclusively, as the custom is to eat them between meals, mid-afternoon, mid-morning, or to brighten up any time at the bar. Or you can simply make a complete meal with them.

The name tapa (cover) is very old, and refers to the slice of bread with jamon that was put on the jars of wine, in the medieval inns, to not enter flies or dust.

What means Tapeo? Tapeo is the Spanish tradition of going out, normally before lunch or dinner, to join friends to drink beer, wine, or a soft drink, while eating some snacks (tapas), to stave off hunger. In many parts of Spain is a tradition going from bar to bar and eat a tapa on each. This is called Ir de tapas. So tapas mix the concept of eating with socializing.

Eating and drinking are complementary: drink stimulates the appetite and aids digestion of some ingredients (such as pepper), and in turn, food helps to lower effects of alcohol.

 

The tapas are cooked in all bars in Spain, so many of them are warm. Each offers different tapas, but some are common and famous throughout the country. That is the case of Tortilla Española (Spanish potato and onion omelette), Patatas bravas (spiced potatoes), Boquerones (anchovies with garlic and olive oil), the fresh Russian salad (potato with vegetables and mayonnaise salad), or Croquetas (croquettes; made of chicken, jamon or cod)

But we can find specialties by region. For example:

-          Galicia, in the northwestern coast, is famous for its seafood tapas, as this area is Europe's largest producer of shellfish. We can try the octopus, prepared in the Galician way. Or the Empanadillas Gallegas (Galician patty with seafood).

 

-          In Andalusia is so typical to order Boquerones en vinagre (anchovies on vinegar with garlic and olive oil), or even Boquerones fritos (fried anchovies), but the star dish is definitely a plate of Jamon Iberico. 

 

-          In Castilla (Castile) there is a strong tradition for tapas of pork. Therefore, we can eat Chorizo (classic Spanish red sausage) or Morcilla (blood sausage). The most famous is the one made in Burgos, with rice.

 

-          Madrid is specially known for tapas, and you can find bars everywhere. Is very common to order Patatas bravas (medium size chunks of fried potatoes in a hot spicy sauce made with chilli), and of course Callos a la madrileña (tripe casserole).

 

-          In Catalonia the Pa amb tomaca (a slice of bread with tomato and garlic sauce), or Escalibada (peppers, aubergines and onions, baked in the oven).

-          Bilbao is famous for its tapas of Bacalao a la bilbaina (fresh cod cooked in the Bilbao way), or Gambas al ajillo (fried prawns out of its shell with garlic and chilli pepper). Everything is always accompanied by local wine, the txakoli.

-          And Valencia, capital of the Mediterranean Diet, you can order any salad with olive oil (very healthy), Clochinas al vapor (steamed clams), or Esgarraet (roasted pepper, cod "esgarrat", garlic and oil; simple but delicious).

 

There are different ways to serve or present a tapa: 

-          A simple normal dish or plate (Jamon, cheese).

-          Small clay casserole or plate (fried Chorizo, Gambas al ajillo).

-          Montaditos: a slice of bread with toppings (Loin with fried onions, Morcilla de Burgos).

-          Pincho: this term is sometimes confusing (depends on the part of Spain), because it can be a small plate (Ensaladilla rusa, Tortilla Española), or in the north it refers to a tapa which all ingredientes are fastened with a toothpick (as Champiñones; mushrooms).

 

-          Banderilla: olives, pieces of peppers, chives and a gherkin all fastened by a medium size stick.

-          Pincho moruno: skewers made with spiced chunks of chicken, pork or beef.

 

The size of a tapa can vary depending on the ingredients, time of day, the area of Spain. The same goes for the price, as some include drinks. Tapas can be found in all cities and bars in Spain, always presented at the fornt desk or bar, to see what they offer.

  

We recommend that in your next visit to Spain do not fail to try and test tapas the more the better. You will find an unlimited source of ideas, ingredients and flavours, as well as friends.

Bon appetit!, or in the Spanish way, Buen provecho!

CHARCUTERIE, SAUSAGE-LIKE PRODUCTS. "EMBUTIDO" FROM TERUEL BY ANTONIO MATA.

One of the most typical foods from Spain is our "embutido", mainly the "chorizo", "lomo" and "salchichón". Did you ever tasted them?...If you like cured ham you will enjoy its "charcuterie"!.

The term charcuterie here refers to the sausage-like products in which different mixtures of minced meat, usually pork, are encased in a cylindrical skin, then cured or cooked so, that they can be kept for a long time. Geography, history and tradition combine in Spain to produce an extensive catalogue of these delicacies which, alongside Teruel and Iberico porks, are some of the most characteristic foods in the Spanish larder.

Charcuterie is generally made from pork from the Duroc, Landrace and Large White pig breeds.

"CHORIZO"

The paradigm of the former is "chorizo", which is matured not only by time and air but also by the salt and spices that are added to the pork, especially pimentón (a Spanish type of paprika), the main distinguishing ingredient.

"CHORIZO"

If you want to know more about the enormous variety of Spanish sausage products, you might have a look at the magazine "Foods from Spain", where you will find further details about the families and how they are made.

There is not a single region or district in Spain without its own, ancestral recipes and sausage-making traditions. Most of the products retain their local name and some have become known far from their place of origin, such as Teruel.