Merguez Sausage

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Cut and chill as directed in Grinding and Mixing Sausage: 2 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of connective tissue; 8 ounces leaf lard, pork fatback, lamb suet, or beef suet

2. Step 2.

   As the lamb and fat chill, mix together in a bowl: 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons sweet paprika (half may be smoked); 1 tablespoon salt; 1 tablespoon ground sumac; 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin; ½ teaspoon ground fennel, preferably toasted first; ¼ teaspoon ground allspice; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

3. Step 3.

   Grind the chilled meat with a food processor or a meat grinder fitted with a ¼-inch plate (if using a food processor, mix the meat with the seasonings after grinding; if using a meat grinder, mix them before grinding). Fry a small piece of the mixture in a skillet, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed, being careful not to overmix. Form into patties or stuff into: (5 feet of 1 ½-inch sausage casings or about 2 ½ square feet of caul fat, prepared as described in Stuffing Sausage)

4. Step 4.

   To fry sausage patties and crépinettes, see Country Sausage I. To cook links, see here; remember that crépinettes can also be grilled. The sausage can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.