Txistorra

Here are a few things you might find useful when making this sausage.

• Digital Smokers (I use the model 4D Pro-series WiFi)
• Bella’s Cold Smoke Generator
• Dry Curing Cabinet
• Spanish Hot Paprika
• Spanish Sweet Paprika
• Iodophor Sanitizer
• Starter Cultures and Molds
• Insta Cure #2 (Curing Salt with Nitrites/Nitrates)
• Insta Cure #1 (for short cures)
• EcoCure #2 (No Nitrite Curing Salt)
• Eco Cure #1 (A Nitrite free alternative to curing your meat)
• Dextrose
• Apera pH Meter with Bluetooth
• Cure Accelerator
• Thermapen ONE (Accurate Thermometer)
• Sausage Pricker
• Kotai Chef Knife
• Sausage Stuffers
• Meat Grinder
• Meat Mixers
• Stuffing Horn Cleaner
• Butcher Twine & Dispenser
• Small accurate Scale for spices
• Large Capacity Scale (33 pounds)
• Drying rack and tray
• Custom Cutting Board
• Jende Lapping plate for sharpening our grinder plates and knife
• InkBird Controllers temp & Humidity
• Dehumidifier Eva Dry 1100
• Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier

If you want to see the different things that we use in operation our be sure to check out our new Amazon Store.

2 Guys & A Cooler Amazon Storefront

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Txistorra

A semi dried Spanish sausage with bold flavors

Prep Time20 hours hrs

Drying time5 days d

Total Time5 days d 20 hours hrs

How much do you want to make? 1000 grams

Ingredients

Metric – US Customary

• 500 g pork shoulder
• 300 g pork belly
• 200 g pork back fat
• 25 g salt
• 2.5 g Insta cure #1
• 20 g Spanish sweet paprika
• 3 g Spanish hot paprika
• 1 g dextrose
• 20 g potato starch optional
• 100 g water If you do not plan on using a binder, then only add half of the amount of water that this recipe calls for
• 5 g minced garlic
• SM-194 Starter Culture re-hydrate 1/8 tsp of starter in the amount of water that the recipe calls for, for every kilo (2.2 pounds) of meat prepared. Let this rest for 30 minutes
• sheep casings 22mm-24mm

Instructions

Prepare the casings

• Rinse off the salt and flush the casings with some cool water. Place the cleaned casings in some fresh water with some baking soda in it (I use 1 tsp per quart of water) and place in the refrigerator. If you let your casings soak for at least 12 hours, they will be nice and tender by the time you use them.

Prepare the Meat and Spices

• Rehydrate the starter culture in distilled water for 30 minutes prior to using.
• Clean your meat of any sinew or silverskin and cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder)
• Chill your meat to below 34f (1.1c). Grind chilled meat and fat through a 6mm plate. Rechill after grinding.
• Add the starter culture to the meat and mix to incorporate. Then add the rest of the ingredients to the meat and continue mixing. Mix well until everything is thoroughly incorporated. It should feel tacky and stick to your hand if you turn your hand upside down, when finished.
• Stuff the mince into your casings, prick with a sausage pricker.

Cold Smoking This Sausage

• I generally cold smoke during the fermentation step (which is a lot easier). Just make sure there's a tray of water in your smoker and keep the temps between 75F (23.9c) and 85F (29.4c) For a lightly smoked salami cold smoke for 3-6 hours. For a smokier flavor, cold smoke for 9-12 hours.
• After the sausage has finished cold smoking, remove it from the smoker and continue the fermentation process.
• Continue fermenting your sausage by placing them in an environment that between 75F (23.9c) and 85F (29.4c) with high humidity for 18-24 hours. You can achieve high humidity by wrapping your sausage in cling film. This locks in the moisture. A good place to ferment is in your oven with the light on but the oven off. (EVERY STARTER CULTURE IS DIFFERENT. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR THE SM-194 STARTER CULTURE). The goal of fermentation is to reach a pH below 5.3. I generally try to target anything between 5.2 and 5.0. Check the pH at the 16–18-hour mark.
• Once you have reached the target pH you can transfer your sausage to the drying chamber.

Drying this sausage

• A drying chamber is a great place to dry this sausage, but a basement or cellar works as well. make sure the drying conditions are around 55F (13c) and 80% humidity. Let this sausage dry for 3-5 days.
• Once finished, take the sausage out, cook , and enjoy

Storage Instructions

• For more long-term storage you can vacuum seal and freeze to cook later.

Notes

• In this recipe I am recommending the use of SM-194 as a starter culture. Other acceptable Starter Cultures for this recipe are FLC, Flavor of Italy, T-SPX. If you use a different starter culture, follow the packet directions for the culture that you use. All of these would follow the same process

We are Amazon Affiliates which means if you happen to buy something from Amazon after clicking one of our links, we get a tiny percentage. This happens at no cost to you and really helps us offset the costs of running this site. Thank you in advance.