Kovbasa (Homemade Ukrainian Garlic Pork Sausage)

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder or neck, with its fat 1.2 kg
• Pork back fat (unsalted fatback) 160 g
• Garlic, crushed 1 head (40 g)
• Salt 24 g
• Black pepper, freshly ground 1 tsp (2.5 g)
• Allspice, ground 0.5 tsp (1 g)
• Water 80 ml ice-cold, plus 50 ml for baking
• Natural pork casings, soaked and rinsed 2.5-3 m (about 20 g)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the pork into 1-1.5 cm cubes (or pass it through a coarse grinder plate) and cut the back fat into 5 mm dice.

2. 2

   Mix the meat and fat with the garlic, salt, black pepper, allspice and ice-cold water, and knead for 5 minutes until sticky; cover and chill for 2-12 hours.

3. 3

   Rinse the soaked casings inside and out, slip them onto a sausage funnel and fill them firmly with the meat, without air pockets.

4. 4

   Twist or tie into rings or 30 cm links and prick any air bubbles with a needle.

5. 5

   Lay the sausage in a baking dish, add the 50 ml of water and bake at 180C for 50-60 minutes, turning once and basting with the juices, until browned and 72C inside.

6. 6

   Let it cool in the dish for 15 minutes before slicing; keep leftovers in the refrigerator, covered with the rendered fat, for up to a week.

7. 7

   Serve warm or cold, sliced, with mustard, horseradish, rye bread and pickles.