Merguez
Hoping to get some details on this tasty sausage. Is it always in sheep or lamb casings(skinny like hot dogs), would it be ruined if it were in hog casings(large like brats). Has anyone had any good variations like game, venison, bison etc. Any info is appreciatted, I know you folks have a lot of knowledge on the subject.
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Sister Y
Feb 7, 2007 09:15 PM
A previous poster on this topic (Malik) says it's actually a Tunisian sausage - see his post, http://www.chowhound.com/topics/44209.... Traditionally, it's made from lamb (or lamb and beef), to be all halal and stuff (acceptable to be eaten by Moslems). I don't think the size of the casing has any effect on the palatability of the sausage - you just wouldn't use pork casings because a pig is a filthy animal.
These days in decadent America, of course, there are no rules - you can make merguez with pork fat, as the Fatted Calf in San Francisco does, and it's bloody magnificent. (I don't remember what casing they use, though the links seemed big for lamb casing.) And some butchers are still making the traditional halal kind.
I think merguez is a sausage that would work well with game. We made some sausages with moose a couple of weeks ago, and I think that flavor would have gone well in a spicy merguez, as long as the moose flavor wasn't lost.
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re: Sister Y
Carmelizedbunions
Feb 7, 2007 09:27 PM
Thanks sis. Merguez is Algerian, harissa the condiment served in it or on it is Tunisian. I dig on swine, but just wondered if part of the appeal was the thin delicate link aspect. I like the rich flavor of venison and bison more than lamb so i think im gonna give it a go.
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re: Sister Y
Carmelizedbunions
Feb 7, 2007 09:28 PM
Oh by the way, did you use pork fat in your moose sausage, thanks again.
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re: Sister Y
Carmelizedbunions
Feb 8, 2007 08:34 AM
Hope you didn't think i was being a smartass. I really wanna know how you got enough fat in the moose sausage. Is there a cut that is fatty enough or did you use pork fatback or bacon?
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I don't think the size of the casing would matter. To me a merguez sausage is a moroccan spiced lamb sausage usually seasoned heavily with fennel and harissa. I'm sure any meat could be used to make a merguez sausage similar to the turkey/chicken italian sausages and andouille sausages. Not idea but certainly doable. I personally am happy with the lamb version and see no reason to use other game in this type of sausage.
