Pepper Snack Sausage
Pfefferbeißer are short, thin cold-smoked raw sausages with a strong pepper flavor and a characteristic snap when bitten. They ripen relatively quickly due to their small diameter and are typical snack sausages for direct consumption. Coarse black pepper is the defining spice.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Prepare and Grind Meat
45 minutesRemove sinew from pork and beef, cube and semi-freeze to –2 °C. Grind both meats together through the 3 mm plate. Weigh out curing salt, spices and starter cultures and knead in thoroughly.
Filling into Sheep Casings
45 minutesSoak sheep casings (caliber 20–22) in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Fill firmly, twist sausages every 8–10 cm. Pierce air bubbles immediately. Form rings or chains as desired.
Drying and Fermenting
24–36 hoursFerment sausages at 20–22 °C and 85–90% humidity for 18–24 hours until pH drops to approx. 5.2–5.4 (or sausages develop a slightly acidic note). Then cool to 15 °C and let the surface dry.
Cold Smoking
2 × 6–8 hoursSmoke sausages 2 times cold (max. 20 °C) with beech-cherry smoke. Hang at 12–15 °C for 24 hours between smoking sessions. The sausages should achieve a uniform red-brown color.
Ripening
3–5 daysHang sausages at 12–15 °C and 70–75% humidity until a weight loss of 20–25% is achieved. When pressed with a finger, the sausages should feel firm but still give slightly – typical for Pfefferbeißer with a snappy bite.
Pro Tip
Soak sheep casings in lukewarm water for 30 minutes before filling – they won't tear during filling and provide the typical snappy bite later.
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