How Iberian Sausage Is Made

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In most Spanish households, there’s never a shortage of Iberian sausages to choose from, delighting the taste buds of young and old, alike. They’re an excellent option for dinner, a mid-afternoon snack or for munching on while at school or work. But not all sausages are equal.

Why Iberian sausage?
Opting for an Iberian sausage means much more than simply choosing the highest-quality and healthiest sausage. It means opting for a taste sensation far superior to that you’ll experience with any ordinary sausage. Just like the Iberian ham, the secret lies in the quality of the animals, which must be at least 50% Iberian stock, the mountain diet of grass and acorns they’re fed during fattening and the preparation of the product, following the highest standards of quality.

Preparation of Iberian chorizo
This is surely one of the signatures of Iberian culture, as well as one of the most highly valued Iberian sausages. It’s a delicacy that is recognized abroad as being purely Spanish and which carries with it a long history tied to its preparation and consumption. It’s a product that can be eaten alone or with bread, and which is occasionally used to prepare traditional recipes in various regions of Spain.

The raw materials for its preparation are lean meat, fat, salt and paprika, although sometimes garlic is used. Once the carving is done, a specialized pork butcher selects the meat and fat by hand. After being weighed and inspected for quality, the meat is fed through a mincer with the appropriate blades and then kneaded to blend it thoroughly. It is seasoned with the necessary ingredients and then left to macerate at a temperature of around 39° for 12 hours.

Meanwhile, the casings (made from intestines or in their absence, dietary collagen) are carefully cleaned so they’ll be ready to stuff with the seasoned meat mixture. The chorizo is finished, but still isn’t ready to eat. In order to achieve its maximum flavor, it must dry in a cellar for a period of three to five months. This is a key stage in the process, which will transform this sausage into a delicacy.

Preparation of Iberian pork loin sausage
Along with the ham, this sausage is most certainly one of the Iberian pork products par excellence. Its name refers to the part of the pig from which the meat used to prepare it is taken. Once the cut is made, the surrounding fat is removed, and the meat is salted and left to sit for a couple of days. Afterwards, it is cleaned, removing the superficial salt, and left to marinade in olive oil, garlic, paprika and oregano. After two to four days, the pork loin meat is stuffed in the casing and hung in a cool, dry place for a period of 60 to 90 days until it reaches the desired level of curing. The end result is a tasty link of superlative quality, considered to be a culinary delicacy.

Pork shank sausage is a variation on Iberian pork loin sausage, following a traditional method using salt with no artificial colors or additives and a curing period of around 150 days. This procedure only uses loin meat of the highest quality, thus ensuring its starring role among Iberian pork products.

Preparation of Iberian salami
The procedure used in the preparation of Iberian salami is similar to that which is used to prepare other Iberian sausages. The selection of meat and fat is exactly the same. The difference is in the spices that are used and the fact that it is boiled before being cured. In this case, black pepper, salt, cilantro and nutmeg are used, spices that lend it a very distinctive taste and identity. The meat mixture is left to macerate for about 24 hours and after seasoning, it is set aside for around 40 days, although some producers prefer to smoke it. Afterwards, it is simmered for a couple of hours in a mixture of water, laurel, cloves, onions and pepper and stuffed in a natural casing to then be cured in a cool, dry place.