Linguica could be a new term to many. Others may have heard the word before, but they barely know what it is. Every single time you prepare a meal for your family members, they are always eager to see what you will bring to the table. It could get quite annoying if there is no diversity in the meals you cook.
Let me give you some tips on how to cook linguica and some comprehensive recipes that will take you a long way into being at the heart of your family.
What is Linguica?
Linguica is basically a smoked and highly seasoned Portuguese pork sausage. Its main flavoring ingredients are onions, garlic, and paprika. It is common in most Portuguese speaking countries.
It is served as part of the main meal and accompanied by other pork products, rice or beans.
Is Linguica Good For Your Health?
Pork and its products have never been termed as the healthiest foods. Just like other pork products, linguica contains fat. Linguica is good for your health, only if you eat it in moderation. Too much of it is likely to bring you some health complications due to the fat content as well as the amount of salt in it.
Also, too much linguica could make you obese and make you prone to other diseases related to obesity such as diabetes. So it is advisable that you take just the right amount of linguica to enjoy your meal while staying as fit as a fiddle.
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Simple And Comprehensive Linguica Recipes
Recipe 1: Portuguese Linguica Sausage
Ingredients:
- Pork butt which has been cut into half an inch pieces
- Three-quarters of a teaspoon full sugar
- Salt to taste
- Two tablespoons of paprika
- Minced garlic, about one tablespoon
- A teaspoon of vegetable oil
- A tablespoon of either red wine or apple cider vinegar
- Black pepper which has been freshly ground – enough to taste
- Freshly ground white pepper – 1 enough to taste
- Crushed red pepper – enough to taste
- A teaspoon of either marjoram or oregano which has been dried
Procedure:
- In a large bowl, mix the pork, white pepper, red pepper, black pepper, oregano, salt, paprika, and garlic. Make sure that they mix perfectly.
- Pass the mixed ingredients through a food processor to get them ground into fine bits. You can make it in two batches just to be sure that the grinding will be effective.
- Transfer the mixture into another large bowl and cover it tightly using a plastic wrap. Refrigerate the mixture overnight.
- Once you get the mixture from the refrigerator, add vinegar to it and stir appropriately to make sure that they combine perfectly.
- Ensure that the seasoning is perfect. You can do this by cooking a small amount of the mixture, 2 tablespoons in a small skillet. Add some oil first to fry. If you find the seasoning not to be perfect according to your liking, add some of the spices to taste.
- Form the meat into patties.
- Smoke the sausages over a pre-heated smoker for one and a half hours over a temperature of 250 degrees F.
- Remove your linguica sausages from the smoker and use them in your recipes as you desire.
Recipe 2: Francesinha
Ingredients:
- Milk – a quarter of a cup
- Beer – 12 ounces
- Two grilled linguicas which have been cut into 4 pieces
- Smoked ham – 2 pieces
- Enough pepper and salt to taste
- Cornstarch, about a tablespoon of it
- 2 slices of gold bread
- A bay leaf
- Butter – 2 tablespoons
- A cube of beef stock
- Smoked ham, about two slices
- A quarter cup of Port wine
- Tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
- Portuguese cheese – 3 yummy slices only
Procedure:
- Make sure that you pre-heat the oven to a temperature of 175 degrees C.
- Dissolve cornstarch in two tablespoons of milk in a small bowl. Stir until you achieve a uniform consistency. Set it aside once it is ready.
- Over some medium to low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan.
- To the butter in the saucepan, add the tomato paste and stir appropriately. Add the beef stock cube, all the remaining milk, Port wine and the bay leaf. Let the ingredients cook over medium-high heat as you frequently stir until the mixed ingredients boil to form a sauce.
- Turn off your cooker and get rid of the bay leaf.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture to ensure that it is consistent. Add the mixture to the sauce and stir to make sure that the sauce has all its ingredients well mixed up.
- Now that the sauce is ready to make your sandwich, start by placing one slice of bread on a slice of cheese on a dish that is oven safe.
- Place another cheese piece on the slice of bread, followed by a slice of ham and the four pieces of linguica steak that you had earlier cut. Lastly, add the second cheese slice on the other side
- You can opt to secure your sandwich using toothpicks
- Pour your already ready sauce on the sandwich, and you can now place your sandwich in the preheated oven. This is a way of allowing the cheese to melt and this will take 10 minutes at most to get accomplished.
- You can now remove your Francesinha from the oven as it is already a delicacy that is ready for consumption.
*Do not forget to remove the toothpicks which you had used to secure your sandwich before serving.
Preservation Measures For Linguica
There are several preservation measures you can apply to prevent your linguica from getting bad especially if you want to store it for some time to be used at a later date.
Preservation prevents the growth of microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. It also derails oxidation of fats which are abundant in pork to minimize rancidity. There are two primary purposes why you should preserve your linguica for future use:
- To prevent it from getting contaminated by chemicals or pathogenic organisms.
- To ensure that it retains its optimum qualities such as its nutritive value, color, flavor, and texture.
1. Freezing
Freezing is a food preservation measure that works for almost every type of food, and so you can be sure that it will be right for your linguica.
Separate your linguica into meal-sized portions. Wrap each portion separately using a freezer bag or a vacuum-style food sealer bag. Before you store your sausages in there, squeeze out all air from the bags since oxygen shortens the time that your sausages will take to stay in good condition.
2. Pickled Linguica
You can use sterilized canning jars to store your linguica. If you want to sterilize the cans yourself, the most effective way of doing so is by boiling them in water. For the pickling solution, you can boil it and add a whole lot of seasoning ingredients such as salt and strong white vinegar.
You have the freedom to add some spices such as garlic, cloves and chili peppers to an amount that you desire. If you desire to give your linguica some color, you can add beet juice or food coloring that is red.
Place your linguica in the sterilized jar then add in the pickle solution. Ensure that your linguica is submerged completely, seal the jars and place them in a refrigerator. This way, your linguica can last up to three months.
Wrapping Up
Linguica is such a great delicacy that you should be introducing as a meal to your family members once in a while. Knowing how to cook linguica is very important as it will come in handy when you feel like taking some linguica.
Leave a comment on the article and let us know your perspective towards linguica and the recipe you have ever used to cook it. In case you need any clarification, please contact me, and I will be able to help you out.