Kulen (Croatian/Serbian Spiced Sausage)

Name: Kulen (Kulen Kobasica)
Total time: P4W
Ingredients: 800 g Schweineschulter (mager); 200 g Schweinebauch (durchwachsen); 28 g Nitritpökelsalz (NPS 0,5%); 30 g Geräucherter Paprika (scharf); 20 g Geräucherter Paprika (süß); 10 g Knoblauch (gepresst); 3 g Rohrzucker

Spice MixPorkFermentingHard4-6 weeks15-20 °CBeech

Kulen is a traditional Croatian-Serbian raw sausage with an intense paprika and garlic flavor. It is cold-smoked and then fermented and matured for several weeks. The characteristic red color and spicy aroma come from the high proportion of smoked paprika.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Pork shoulder (lean)800 g

Pork belly (streaky)200 g

Curing salt (NPS 0.5%)28 g

Smoked paprika (hot)30 g

Smoked paprika (sweet)20 g

Garlic (pressed)10 g

Raw cane sugar3 g

Instructions

Preparation & Mixing

1 day

Mince the meat through the 8mm plate. Add all spices and curing salt and knead thoroughly until the mixture binds. Cover and pre-salt for 24 hours at 4 °C in the refrigerator.

Filling & Shaping

1-2 hours

Fill the mixture firmly into cleaned pork bung casings (caliber 45-55), twist off and tie without air pockets. Prick the sausages with a fine needle to remove any air inclusions.

Cold Smoking

5-7 days (6-8 hours daily)

Cold-smoke with beech wood smoke daily for 6-8 hours at 15-20 °C. Between smoking phases, allow the sausages to rest in cool air so they dry evenly.

Fermentation & Maturation

4-6 weeks

Mature the Kulen at 12-16 °C and 75-85% relative humidity. Check weekly for mold; white noble mold is desirable, green or black mold must be wiped off with salt water.

Pro Tip

Use only smoked paprika (Pimentón) for authentic flavor. The maturation temperature should remain constant between 12-16 °C to ensure even fermentation.

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