Northern German Fine Mettwurst

Name: Mettwurst norddeutsch fein
Total time: 10 d
Ingredients: 700 g Schweineschulter, mager; 200 g Schweinebacke, entschwartet; 100 g Rückenspeck, fest; 26 g Nitritpökelsalz; 3 g Schwarzer Pfeffer, fein gemahlen; 1 g Muskat, frisch gerieben; 2 g Zucker; 0.1 g Starterkulturen (Lb. curvatus)

Raw SausagePorkCold SmokingMedium10-14 days18°CBeech, light Alder

Northern German Mettwurst is a finely ground, spreadable to sliceable raw sausage made from pork, which develops its characteristic mildly spiced flavor through cold maturation and light smoking. It is traditionally spread on bread or served as cold cuts in northern Germany.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Lean pork shoulder700 g

Pork cheek, derinded200 g

Firm back fat100 g

Curing salt26 g

Finely ground black pepper3 g

Freshly grated nutmeg1 g

Sugar2 g

Starter cultures (Lb. curvatus)0.1 g

Instructions

Preparation

45 Minuten

Cool meat and fat below 2°C or lightly freeze. Coarsely pre-grind pork shoulder and cheek (8mm), then grind together with fat twice through the 3mm plate. Cool briefly between grinding passes.

Mixing and Seasoning

15 Minuten

Add all spices, curing salt and starter cultures to the meat mixture. Knead thoroughly until a homogeneous, slightly sticky mass forms. Temperature of the mixture must not exceed 6°C.

Filling

30 Minuten

Fill the mixture firmly into beef middle casings caliber 45/50 or fibrous casings, prick any air bubbles with a needle. Portion sausages to about 300g each and tie off.

Warming and Fermentation

18-24 Stunden

Ferment sausages at 20-22°C and 90% relative humidity for 18-24 hours. Fermentation is complete when pH drops below 5.4 and the surface has become slightly firm.

Cold Smoking

3-4 Tage

Cold smoke at 16-18°C with beech and a small portion of alder for 2-3 smoking rounds of 6 hours each. Allow 12 hours rest between rounds. Sausages should develop an even reddish-brown casing.

Maturing

6-8 Tage

After smoking, mature at 12-14°C and 72-78% humidity for 6-8 days. The Mettwurst is ready when it offers slight resistance to pressure and the core shows even color throughout.

Pro Tip

For an especially fine texture, grind the meat twice through the 3mm plate, always keeping the core temperature below 4°C. Briefly freezing the meat before the second grinding significantly improves the cut texture.

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