It is my hope that someday I will know how to make authentic Portuguese linguica sausage. Recently, with the help of four good friends, I made my first faltering attempt using a generic recipe. The results were very good, but not perfect. So, my search for an authentic recipe continues. Come join me on my quest.
Hi! Ol’ Fuzz Face here. – My Dad’s parents came to America from Portugal’s Azores Islands. When they left the island of São Miguel, they had little with them except hope for the future and recipes for the finest breads, stews, and meat dishes.
Today, we’ll talk about one small part of that food tradition – linguica sausage and how it’s made. I’ll also share with you my dad’s recipe for Linguiça and Scrambled Eggs.
A Little Sausage Making Background
There’s no need to go into a lengthy discussion on the sausage making process. In our post Project Sausage, I described how my good friend Tom and I experimented with the rather unusual branch of the culinary arts known as sausage making.
Our most recent sausage making adventure began over a year ago. Tom once again raised the exciting possibility of gathering a group of our brother Knights of Columbus for a day of sausage making and mirth-filled camaraderie. It took a while to organize the event, but finally the date was set – February 29th would be the day.
In the meantime, I consulted with Chef Blondie and the entire staff of the SFH Test Kitchen. We planned for a broad-based endeavor that went far beyond just the making of generic sausage. This event would become the next step on my quest for an authentic recipe for linguica.
The Big Day – How We Made Sausage
The big day finally came. Our Pastor granted our band of five intrepid sausage makers the use of the parish hall. Once again, Tom provided all the necessary equipment (grinder and stuffer). He also procured the pork butt and the hog casings. Our crew operated with military precision. It consisted of the following brave souls:
- Tom – the master meat grinder and team leader
- John – the mighty meat slicer
- Bryant – the powerful vertical sausage stuffer cranker
- Dave – the sausage stuffer guide man, the bravest one of all
- Yours truly – sausage stuffer repair technician and cleanup man.
No words can describe all that went on that day. But just as it was for Tom and me on our first sausage making adventure, so it was on our second. – It wasn’t a pretty sight (no one ever describes sausage making as that), but, oh my, it was fun!
The Bottom Line – How I Made Portuguese Linguica
Several different recipes were used on sausage making day. So, several shortcuts and compromises had to be employed. There wouldn’t be time for me to follow my recipe precisely as written. So, I couldn’t really expect perfect results. Nevertheless, I hoped to at least get into the ballpark.
So, watch the video to find out how this linguica was made and whether it passed the SFH Test Kitchen official taste test.
Many of you might not have the time or equipment to make your own linguica. That’s okay. Some stores like Harris Teeter carry linguica in their meat departments.
If you’d like to try out my dad’s simple recipe for Linguiça and Scrambled Eggs, go out and by some linguica. You’ll be glad you did.