Iberian Morcón
Morcón is a large-caliber, coarse-grained raw sausage from southwestern Spain, made from the noblest cuts of Iberian pork. Its thick, rustic natural casing and long maturation develop an intense, complex flavor profile with nutty and spicy notes. It is considered the worthy alternative to Ibérico Lomo and is a festive product of Extremaduran cuisine.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Curing and Marinating
48 hoursCut the meat into 3-4cm cubes. Mix all spices, curing salt and white wine into a paste and spread evenly over the meat. Mix well so all pieces are coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at 4°C for 48 hours, turning once daily.
Stuffing
2-3 hoursPack the marinated meat firmly and without air pockets into large pork intestine casing (caliber 60-80mm) or a cleaned pork stomach. Tie the ends very firmly and prick the casing in several places with a meat fork or needle to remove air pockets.
Fermentation
3-5 daysFerment the Morcón at 18-22°C and 85-92% humidity for 3-5 days. During this phase the surface turns intensely red from the paprika spices and the sausage begins to firm up.
Long-term Maturation
60-90 daysMature the Morcón at 10-14°C and 70-78% humidity in a well-ventilated room. Check weekly for mold. White noble mold is desirable and can be left. Maturation is complete when the Morcón has lost 35-40% of its original weight and shows a marbled meat-fat structure when sliced.
Pro Tip
Use only authentic Pimentón de la Vera (D.O.) in a blend of dulce and picante. The meat should remain coarsely cubed (no ground texture) to preserve the typical rustic cut structure of Morcón.
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