Seeking Sumac Sausages. Sujuk?

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Seeking Sumac Sausages. Sujuk?

Post by el Ducko » Tue Sep 24, 2013 04:34

Well, I bought this jar of sumac recently at a Lebanese store, and it`s been sitting there, mostly. Hmmm... can you make sausage with sumac as an ingredient?

As usual, I turned to Wikipedia first. They said, in part:
Sujuk, also "sucuk" and soudjouk is a dry, spicy sausage in Turkish, Bulgarian and Albanian cuisine eaten from the Balkans to the Middle East and Central Asia.

Sujuk consists of ground meat (usually beef, but pork is used in non-Muslim countries and horse meat in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), with various spices including cumin, sumac, garlic, salt, and red pepper, fed into a sausage casing and allowed to dry for several weeks. It can be more or less spicy; it is fairly salty and has a high fat content.

Sujuk may be eaten cooked (when raw, it is very hard and stiff). It is often cut into slices and cooked without additional oil, its own fat being sufficient to fry it. At breakfast, it is used in a way similar to bacon or spam. It is fried in a pan, often with eggs (e.g. as breakfast in Egypt), accompanied by a hot cup of sweet black tea. Sujuk is sometimes cooked with haricot bean or incorporated into pastries at some regions in Turkey. In Bulgaria, raw, sliced sujuk is often served as an appetizer withrakia other high alcoholic drinks. In Lebanon, cooked sliced sujuk is made into sandwiches with garlic sauce and tomato.
...looks like you can. So, searching further, I stumbled upon an interesting internet post at http://www.antoniotahhan.com/2010/12/21 ... m-scratch/ which describes an interesting Armenian sausage called sujuk. Check the post. It has lots of pictures. Here`s his recipe, echoed for those too lazy to visit the website. It appears to be a basic recipe, put together by someone`s aunt, done traditionally. Bear in mind that, for you and I, cure #1, possibly cure #2, is needed. (This will be discussed below.)

Sujuk Sausage
yields approx 1kg
Components
● 1kg ground beef, freshly ground
● 2 Tbsp cumin, ground
● 2 Tbsp allspice, ground
● 1 1/2 Tbsp fenugreek (optional), ground
● 1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
● 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
● 1/4 cup garlic, minced
Putting them all together
1. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.
2. Stuff meat mixture into clean, porous stockings and let hang for 3-5 days in a cool, dry place away from any sunlight.
3. Once pouches are dry and firm to the touch, remove from the hanging rod and store in the refrigerator - leftover pouches keep great in the freezer.
Notes:Make sure whatever you use to encase the meat is clean, but more importantly make sure it does not have any detergent scent. Sujok keeps great in the freezer. I bring down a pouch at a time from the freezer to the refrigerator as I go through it.


Naturally, there are concerns about spoilage. Here are a few posts in reply to his recipe:

With regards to the temperature, this should only be done in the fall/winter when the weather is relatively cool (40-50 degrees F). If you use the freshest meat possible, keep it away from any direct sunlight, and use enough salt, you should be fine.

Sujuk is usually prepared in late fall and throughout winter in Aleppo. Most importantly, the weather should be cool outside to avoid the meat from spoiling. Choose a location that is cool and receives a lot of ventilation (the air/ventilation will help dry the sujuk). Any porous cloth should work as a bag - a lot of families sew their own "bags" made out of leftover cotton fabric. Make sure that whatever cloth you use is clean and does not have any detergent scent.

The sujuk I have always had, home-made or store bought, has a little acidity to it. Does it acquire the acidity from the fermentation during drying? Or does it have a minimal amount of some type of acid such as citric acid added. Mind you, I actually like the subtle acidity; I am just curious. I am going to try your recipe and taste it fresh and dry to compare the acidity.

Fenegreek is basic in Egyptian "Sujuk", especially "Pastrami", mixed with garlic and paprica and touch of salt. In Pastrami, you add drops of water to form a "paste", then cover all surface of the raw eye of round beef with about one or two millimeter thick.. as for fear of contamination, in "ALL" cases of eating sujuk or pastrami they shouldn`t be eaten raw in ANY CASE, they have to be well cooked or fried now that lots of bacterial contaminants are to be a concern nowadays, not only that, utensils, hands, cutting boards and anything that comes in touch with raw meat have to be sterilized, too bad for the fellow who hates the smell of bleach because it`s the best sterilizer along with detergent.


Still no mention of sumac. Further looking turned up nothing, except that it has a lemony taste and is often used in Middle Eastern meat dishes such as kebabs, fattoush (salad made with fresh vegetables and toasted pita bread), and kofta (lamb meatballs). ...which is good enough for me. In keeping with the other spices, it looks like 2 tablespoons of sumac will work.

Notice the HUGE amount of garlic, and a traditionally high salt level.. No, that`s not a misprint.

But there are other recipes which get more elaborate. Salt, paprika, garlic, fenugreek, cumin, onion powder, cayenne, allspice, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, even pomegranate juice come into play, as well as red wine and various anise-flavored distilled spirits.

Len Poli gets in on the act: at http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Soojookh.pdf he adds cure #2 to the recipe before undergoing drying at 50 degF and 55-60% relative humidity. Cure is omitted in his "red soujouk" recipe at http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Soujouk-red.pdf which features paprika and red wine, which dries in ambient (albeit cool) air. However, in his "black soujouk" recipe at http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Soujouk-black.pdf which has black and white pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and ouzo (anise liqueur) and dries under the same conditions, he admits to optionally adding cure #1.

Poli`s recipes were sent to him by an Australian website visitor. Perhaps our Aussie friends have some recipes to share? And CW, here's an opportunity for another of your articles on dried sausages, the role of salt in reducing aW, cure#1 vs. cure #2, and why Armenian families may be dying off at the hands of kindly old aunts making sausage the traditional way.

Meanwhile, I continue to seek a way to use sumac in sausage. If you have experience with sumac, please share. Otherwise, it goes into za`atar (sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme/majoram/oregano in olive oil, for dipping pita bread). ...which, come to think of it, is a pretty good way to use sumac.
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May give you an idea

Post by markjass » Tue Sep 24, 2013 08:57

I have tried using sumac in sausages, but felt that it did not add much. I wonder if you can adapt this recipe for meatballs into a sausage. It is from one of my favourite local shops. Imogen the owner, who is a gem will talk food all day with you. I find her inspiring and encouraging. Her shop was in a prime spot in town. Then along came the earthquake and smashed it. She then used her garage at home as a shop until she has sorted out her present location. If you have time check out her products. How lucky am I that I live in Christchurch.

Here is the link to her recipe - I have only included part of the ingredents and included the link.

Sumac Meatballs with Chermoula Sauce and Yoghurt
Imogen Taylor - Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Middle Eastern Lamb Meatballs

500gm lamb mince
70gm ground almonds
1 onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced
1heaped tbsp sumac


http://www.aji.co.nz/BlogRetrieve.aspx? ... ectType=55


Have yet to try this:

ARABIC ORANGE BLOSSOM AND SUMAC PANCAKES!
Imogen Taylor - Wednesday, August 24, 2011

http://www.aji.co.nz/BlogRetrieve.aspx? ... ectType=55

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Post by redzed » Tue Sep 24, 2013 09:11

I think sumac is used in merguez sausage recipes. I personally don't like the stuff, but my wife does. Not too many years ago we stayed at a convent in Old Jerusalem and for breakfast each day there was the thick Mediterranean yogurt and zatar for garnish. Sumac is the primary ingredient in zatar, a Palestinian staple. Since that trip we always have some zatar in the cupboard.

BTW that meat ball recipe sounds fantastic! Wish I couls hook into a few of those!

I think that a fresh lamb sausage made with that recipe would be quite good.
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Post by markjass » Tue Sep 24, 2013 09:31

Yes, that is where I used it. The lack of being able to find half edible merguez is what finally got me into making sausages. I now use my own harissa paste. I find that my recipe works in fresh sausages, but not so much when curing, smoking and cooking them. The sausages loose their lamb flavour.

Here is my Harissa Paste Recipe (work in progress for the last couple of years)

20 grams dried chilli flakes and seeds,
40 grams hot water
30 grams crushed garlic
18 grams smoked sweet paprika
8 grams of caraway seed
4 grams coriander seed
4 grams cumin seeds
8 grams salt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
20 grams char-grilled capsicum (home made relish).

I soak the chilli flakes in boiling water. Let them it cool.
Dry roast the whole spices and let them cool
Then bung the whole lot in my blender and blend.

Oh yes this goes so well with bacon, soup, stews et. al.
and as part of a marinade for a barbecued leg of lamb that I had for tea tonight.
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Post by el Ducko » Tue Sep 24, 2013 23:32

Yum! Plenty of red pepper, and plenty of garlic. ...plus, of course, the goodies that set this harissa apart from the others. I'll make some tonight. We're having "couscous with seven vegetables in the Fez style." ...gonna need plenty. Thanks for a great recipe. Markjass.

Hey, CW, what comments do you have on the use of either cure for hanging Sujuk in cloth sacks from your back porch for a couple of weeks?

Betcha that a pack of wandering carnivores will pick most of 'em off before the remainder cure and are ready to eat. ...or maybe they call these things Armenian wind chimes? ...Armenian piñatas?

Anyway, it sounds like a fascinating recipe. Has anyone tasted it who can describe it? As soon as it gets below 50 deg F here (mid-January, for a few days), I'm gonna try it. ...or else, finally build that temperature/humidity controlled curing setup.
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Sucuk meatballs

Post by markjass » Thu Sep 26, 2013 08:09

Have just made some sucuk meatballs. I have taken the recipe from the sister site (http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes/sucuk) and adapted it. I also made some pasta sauce (yesterday) and will have it all as a pasta dish tonight.

This is what I ended up with

Meats
lean beef 700 g
lean lamb/mutton 300 g

Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat

salt 16g
Unrefined sugar 3g
black pepper 5g
red pepper 5g
cumin 10.0 g
garlic 10.0 g
allspice 2.0 g
olive oil 10.0 g
Sumac 15g (all I had left)
Smoked Paprika 6g (a start)

Taste ok at the moment, then added the paprika and tried again, better still but should taste better in morning (breakfast after the flavours start to develop).
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Post by el Ducko » Thu Sep 26, 2013 15:15

Markjass,

Do you think the sumac might give a fresh sausage version a little bit of the sourness that fermenting sausage would give it? ...or maybe a touch of vinegar?

I've never tasted sujuk "the real thing." ...think I'll use your recipe and pull together a batch in the next few days. Thanks for your help, and a nod to Wedliny Domowe "sister site" http://www.meatsandsausages.com/

Duk
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Post by redzed » Thu Sep 26, 2013 19:44

el Ducko wrote:Do you think the sumac might give a fresh sausage version a little bit of the sourness that fermenting sausage would give it? ...or maybe a touch of vinegar?
Vinegar tends to make make the sausage crumbly as the meat does not bind well when it is added. I suppose a small amount may not make significant difference, but if a bit of tang is desired, then I would go with a bit of sodium erythorbate.
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Post by el Ducko » Thu Sep 26, 2013 22:39

redzed wrote:...but if a bit of tang is desired, then I would go with a bit of sodium erythorbate.
Good idea, RZ. I'll get some on order right away. Can you suggest an amount? Those little voices in my head say "limit 0.5%. Poli recommends 0.05% + 0.01% citric acid." ...but then, that might just be CW, wagging his finger at me.
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Post by redzed » Fri Sep 27, 2013 00:00

Sausagemaker suggests 1oz per 100lbs, so if my math is correct, that's .06%. So maybe that is not enough to actually affect the taste.
Maybe CW can advise here.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/11085sodium ... e12lb.aspx

http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additiv ... ve-404.pdf
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Post by markjass » Fri Sep 27, 2013 03:58

I only made about 1kg of the sausages. Next time I would cut down on the amount of cayenne pepper. Not that it was too hot, but it dominated the flavour so much (I do make a lamb, beef and herb sausage that uses the same ratio of lamb to beef - you can taste the lamb in this) that I could not taste the lamb and I was unaware of the sumac.

Looking at Imogen's recipe she uses 1 1/2 tablespoons of sumac for 500mg of meat. Susan et. al in Home Sausage Making looked at it today in the library use 1 1/2 tablespoons in 3 1/2 pounds of lamb = 1.587g of meat. As I do not have any sumac left I cannot weigh a tablespoon of it so that is not much help.

From serious eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/12/spic ... sumac.html) 'sumac. Sweet and sour, bitter and fruity, it's the saving grace for the unapologetically lazy cook, a Swiss army knife of finishing touches.It's surprising sumac hasn't joined other Middle Eastern ingredients on their inroads into American cooking. It's a versatile spice and if that weren't enough, a quick sprinkle will make any dish look downright pretty. Like lemon juice, it's used to add quick, fresh acidity to grilled meat, cooked vegetables, salads, dips, and grains. But it's much more complex than lemon, reminiscent of perfectly ripe raspberries and tomatoes, with a pleasing bitterness that lingers just a second after swallowing. It's less tart than lemon, more about balanced tartness than pure acidity, and a pleasant substitute for ubiquitous squeezes of citrus'.

The more I think about it I would cut down the cayenne to 2 grams. That way I would be able to taste the sumac and the lamb. Another factor that is of importance is that I had the sumac for about a year and although the packet was sealed it had been opened.

You point on the acidity of vinegar. You would get the acidity, but I do not know what effect it would have on the texture of the meat. I am also not sure if the taste of the sumac would disipate in a fermentated sausage as it dries for a length amount of time.

Tomorrow I will have a chat with Imogen about sumac and may buy some more. I may just make a very small amount of burgers and flavour them with salt, pepper and sumac and see if I like the taste and then use this as a baseline.
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Post by el Ducko » Fri Sep 27, 2013 05:49

Thanks. I went shopping today but couldn't find any lamb. (Then I got distracted by some pork bellies, but that's another story.) I'll try the specialty meat market in New Braunfels. They usually have lamb. I guess they'll be importing it from your part of the world pretty soon, eh?
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:21

Redzed wrote:
Sausagemaker suggests 1oz per 100lbs, so if my math is correct, that's .06%. So maybe that is not enough to actually affect the taste.
Maybe CW can advise here.
Hi Guys, thanks for askin'! I'm not too keen on sodium erythorbate because of its side effects. Anyone who sells it is quick to point out that it acts as an anti-oxidant preventing discoloration while acting as a "color stabilizer". Quite true! There`s no doubt about it, besides preventing color change, erythorbate also helps maintain flavor in meat. It was quick to be deemed safe by consumers. It certainly caused a sensation when scientists discovered that it reduces the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in meat. However, there are side effects, especially if used in larger doses. Although erythorbate is simply a variation of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), some people have suffered headache and generalized fatigue and dizziness. There have even been instances where it has caused hemolysis in some people (red blood cells rupture). This condition leads to anemia. Sodium erythorbate, building acids in the bloodstream, can lead to the formation of kidney stones and blood in the urine. It can also cause abdominal cramping and diarrhea, as well as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and gastritis. In larger doses, it can also be a significant source of dehydration - a serious and dangerous condition. Naw... I leave it out of my sausages. I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid! :shock:

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Post by markjass » Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:51

Thanks CW. I avoid using food addatives, whether artificial or not, unless it is a safety issue.
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Post by redzed » Fri Sep 27, 2013 23:59

Thanks CW. That is some scary stuff! I think I used sodium erythorbate a couple of times, but will the extra careful in the amounts in the future, or even reconsider using it again.


Topic Split 092813 @ 15:39 by CW. See "Anti-Oxidants - Pros and Cons" in the "Technology Basis" forum at this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=21958#21958
Last edited by redzed on Sun Sep 29, 2013 03:33, edited 1 time in total.
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