Philippine Longanisa de Eugenio (Sweet Sausage)

Ingredients

• 0.5 cups white sugar
• 4.5 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 0.5 teaspoons curing salt , Prague powder #1
• 0.25 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 pound coarse ground pork back fat
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 0.25 cups distilled white vinegar
• hog casing , rinsed well

Instructions

1. 1

   Stir sugar, salt, oregano, black pepper, curing salt, and ginger together in a small bowl until combined; set aside.

2. 2

   Combine ground pork, ground pork fat, and garlic in a large bowl; sprinkle with sugar mixture. Pour in vinegar; mix thoroughly.

3. 3

   Rinse hog casing very well until all salt or brine is gone; tie a knot at one end of the casing, then thread the other end onto a sausage stuffing tube. Stuff the casing with the pork sausage mixture, twisting the filled casing every 2 1/2 to 4 inches to form links. Once all sausage mixture has been used, tie a knot at the end of the last link.

4. 4

   Tie ends of each sausage link tightly using fine cotton kitchen twine, then cut between each link to separate. Transfer links to a glass or plastic container. Cover; allow to mature in the refrigerator for 4 days, after which point they may be frozen.

5. 5

   To cook longanisa, fill a skillet with 1/2 to 3/4 inches water; add thawed sausage links. Simmer over medium-high heat until water evaporates, about 20 minutes. Uncover, and allow sausages to fry in their own fat until golden brown, about 8 minutes more.