Thuringian Kantwurst

Remove coarse sinew from pork shoulder and cut into grinder cubes. Prepare pork cheek or belly separately. Chill everything to below 2°C. Grind shoulder through the 8 mm plate, fat through the 5 mm plate. Keep meat temperature below 6°C.

Knead ground meat, fat and all spices with curing salt into a homogeneous mass. Mix vigorously for 12-15 minutes until the mass binds and becomes stringy. Cover and cure at 3-4°C for 72 hours. The mass is ready when it is evenly dark red.

Soak beef casings for 60 minutes and slide onto the filling tube (22 mm). Fill very firmly and compactly without any air bubble. Tie sausages to approx. 30 cm length. Then press between two wooden boards with 1-2 kg weight for 24 hours at 4°C to achieve the characteristic angular shape.

Remove shaped sausages from the presses and air-dry for 12 hours at room temperature (max. 20°C) until the casing is completely dry and slightly hardened.

Smoke sausages at maximum 22°C in several smoking sessions of 6 hours each using beech and a small portion of juniper wood. Allow 8 hours rest between sessions. A total of 3 smoking sessions for a deep mahogany-brown, dry surface.

Mature Kantwurst at 12-14°C and 70-75% relative humidity for 2-3 weeks. Check daily for mold. White noble mold is desirable; green or black mold should be dabbed off with a 3% salt solution. Target weight loss 35-40% for optimal sliceability.

The finished Kantwurst should show an even deep red cut surface with visible fat distribution when sliced. The consistency should be firm but not crumbly. The angular shape must be clearly recognizable. The aroma should be strongly smoky and spicy with a caraway note.