Sausage “Salchichón“

Salchichón is one of the favorite sausages of Spanish gastronomy, but its origins are found in Greece and Rome. Apart from its delicious flavor, the best thing about this sausage is its multiple organoleptic properties. What is the best way to eat salchichón?

How is salami made?

This sausage is made from lean pork and some bacon; it is seasoned with various spices such as pepper, cloves, coriander, nutmeg, and salt. After a maceration process of 24 hours, the sausage is stuffed into the cow's or pig's intestine and hung for curing. It may be smoked or air-dried for several days to cure the link.

Salchichón, although it has Greek and Roman origins, is produced in Spain and other European countries such as Italy, France, and Greece. This delicious sausage is nothing new, as it is believed to have appeared accidentally about 5,000 years ago through the spontaneous fermentation of bacteria in raw meat but kept at a stable temperature.

The important thing is that thanks to this accidental discovery, it is now possible to eat a delicacy that forms part of the Mediterranean diet and is very versatile. In Spain, there are different types of salchichón, such as the one made in Zamora using pork and wild boar meat; in the north of the country, for example, it is the result of the slaughter of the pig.

In Aragon, it is known as Calamocha liver because it is made using lean pork liver meat, flor de mace, and black and white pepper; the variety of salchichón produced in the Basque Country is known as cular, because pork intestine is used to make the sausage.

Recipes with salami

What is the best way to eat salami? Thanks to its versatility, you can include salchichón in different ways. In addition to offering it raw on a platter of various sausages and cheeses, you can also prepare delicious croquettes.

Sausage croquettes
For the salami croquettes, you will need the following:
500 milliliters of whole milk.
Three tablespoons of wheat flour.
30 grams of butter.
Extra virgin olive oil.
150 grams of Iberian salami.
Half an onion.
Nutmeg.
Coarse salt.

Preparation process:

Chop the onion into julienne strips and sauté in a frying pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and butter.
The onion should brown but not burn.
Insert the sausage into fine cubes and add them to the frying pan.
Stir for a few minutes so that the sausage releases its fat.
Add the flour to the pan and brown for a couple of minutes.
When the flour is toasted, gradually add the milk to the pan. Keep stirring while pouring in the milk; this allows the béchamel sauce to bind but prevents lumps from forming.
Season with a pinch of salt and nutmeg.
If the sausage you bought is peppered, it is not necessary to add pepper to the mixture; however, if the link is pepper-free, add a little freshly ground pepper.
Remove from the heat when the sauce can be easily removed from the pan.
Place the sauce in a bowl and allow it to cool.
When you can handle the mixture, it's time to bag the croquettes. Take some with your hands (better use gloves) and form small balls.
Place flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs on three plates to coat the croquettes.
Dip the croquettes in flour, then in beaten egg and finish with the breadcrumbs; it is advisable to repeat these last two steps a couple of times so that the breading does not fall off.
Once you have breaded the croquettes, please place them in a frying pan with plenty of hot oil and let them brown. Use a toothpick to check that the inside is done; remove the croquettes from the heat and place them on absorbent paper.

Scrambled eggs with sausage

A very typical recipe, but changing the ham for salchichón, you'll love its flavor! For this dish, you will need the following:

Two large potatoes.
Six eggs.
A piece of salami.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Process of elaboration:

The first thing will be to cut the potatoes and fry them. You can cut them into slices of the same thickness, so they are cooked simultaneously and in strips.
Put plenty of oil in a frying pan and add the potatoes to fry them when it is hot.
When the potatoes are ready, remove them from the heat, add salt, and set aside. For this process, you can use a deep fryer or even an air fryer.
Cut the sausage into slices.
Heat a frying pan without oil, and when it is hot, add the salami slices. Let the sausage release its fat and flavor and remove it from the heat. It only needs a couple of minutes.
In the same frying pan, add the eggs to fry them.
Season the yolk with salt and pepper.
Serve the potatoes, and place the eggs and the sliced sausage on top.