Linguisa/Linguica

[Kayasuma]

Hello,

I recently picked some of this sausage up at my local grocer. I won't lie, my main reason was because it was on special, in addition to my curiosity. I was looking for something to make for dinner this week and found these in the freezer. My only problem: I'm not sure exactly what to do with/how to prepare them! Also, what is the flavor profile like, so that I have an idea as to what to pair with it?

[benbenberi]

Linguica is good sliced up and cooked in an omelet (with onions, tomatoes, and/or sweet peppers too).

In soup with kale & beans, as mentioned above.

I sometimes use it as a substitute for Spanish chorizo (*not* the Mexican sausage) in dishes like arroz con pollo, or with seafood. It's not identical, but a similar flavor profile.

[paulj]

Where's it from, and what brand? Portugal, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii?

[Kayasuma]

I bought it from Sprout's Farmers Market, so I'm assuming it was something that they made in-house. The bratwurst I picked up from there was the best bratwurst I've ever had.

[paulj]

Cooked or raw?

Compared to the bratwurst, it probably has paprika (for color as much as flavor), and vinegar.

[TrishUntrapped]

Oh I forgot one. Linguica, peppers and onions. Again, makes a good sandwich.

[TrishUntrapped]

I love linguica (pronounced lingweesa). Did you buy Gaspar's? That's the brand I am most familiar with. You have options. Escondido gave you a good one with kale and white beans.

My family always kept it simple. In Massachusetts we would slice it in circles and fry it in a pan (you have to fully cook it, it is not cooked, and you don't want it rare or raw) then serve it on a roll with mustard for a sandwich.

Instead of a large round, linguica is also sold in hot dog size. We would cut a couple notches in those and fry them up and serve on hot dogs rolls. You could also take the large circle of linguica, cut it into hot dog lengths, carve a couple notches in them and fry them up as well.

Another thing I love to do is fry up diced linguica and then use it for a topping for homemade pizza. Especially love a linguica and onion pie....

[Denise V.]

We found it at Publix in Florida and it is pre-cooked???
according to the wrapper, it only needs to be heated through.
It does not improve the taste or quality of the meat to crucify it on the grill until blackened like hot dogs some times. We had it grilled and served in buns in our family.

[TrishUntrapped]

Never seen it precooked. What brand was it do you recall?

[escondido123]

The linquica I know is a spicy, garlicky Portuguese sausage. My absolute favorite way to cook it is with kale and white beans, a classic combo. I first slice and brown the sausage, then pull it out of the pan and saute diced onion and carrots, adding garlic a little later along with olive oil if necessary. Chopped uncooked kale and white beans then go in along with the linguica and either water or chicken broth. It cooks until kale is tender. I like it fairly dry, some people make it almost a soup. Wonderful on a cold day.

[jeanmarieok]

I love kale soup (caldo verde) - lots of good recipes out there. It's much more than the sum of it's ingredients - the sausage flavors it very nicely.

[Kayasuma]

I did this, but made it a soup. The sausage, while having a good flavor, did not hold up to the simmer though -- turned out quite mealy. I think the proper preparation for these particular links would have been to steam then grill/pan fry like brats. I'll try and hunt down some of the packaged stuff and try it out again. Thanks for the tips!

[greygarious]

Linguica is dry compared to, say, kielbasa. I think that's what you perceived as "mealy". When prepping it for soup or an omelet, I find I need to slice/chop it into much smaller pieces
than is the case for other sausages. It remains "al dente" when cooked, unlike other types of sausage.

[paulj]

If these links are anything like the fresh ones I get from my local butcher, they are made with the same ground pork mix they use for brats and other flavors. The spices differ, but the fat ratio probably does not. And they may well be on the lean side, especially in comparison many factory brands (lean =? quality).