Ever wanted to make your own sausages? Let's start with Sardelki, a beloved type of thick, short sausage popular across Eastern Europe. They are heartier than a hot dog but more tender than a large kielbasa. This homemade chicken version is exceptionally juicy and flavorful, thanks to a perfect blend of lean chicken, rich pork, and savory shpek (cured pork fatback). Making them from scratch is a rewarding experience that puts you in complete control of the ingredients, ensuring a fresh, all-natural product free from preservatives. Get ready to impress your family with the incredible taste of homemade sardelki!
Homemade chicken sardelki.
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Sardelki
- 700 g chicken breast fillet
- 100 g shpek (cured pork fatback)
- 300 g pork
- 100 ml ice-cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 teaspoons salt (level)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 m narrow pork casings
How to Make Homemade Chicken Sardelki
Remove the skin from the chicken breast. Separate the meat from the bones. Dice the breast fillet.
Dice the pork into small cubes. You can substitute the pork with beef or veal, choose the meat that suits you best.
Removing the skin from the chicken breast.
Dicing the pork into small cubes.
Dicing the pork shpek into small cubes.
Dice the pork shpek (cured pork fatback) into small cubes. You can’t get juicy sardelki without shpek, as the fat is what makes them moist and delicious.
Grinding the chicken breast, pork shpek, and pork pieces through a meat grinder.
Grind the chicken breast, pork shpek, and pork pieces through a meat grinder. For making sardelki, you should use a plate with small holes.
Adding ground allspice and crushed coriander.
The next step is to knead the minced meat well.
Soaking the casing for the sardelki, then threading it onto the sausage stuffer nozzle.
Add the ground allspice and crushed coriander. Pour in the ice-cold water. Add the salt and sugar. You can use sea salt; in many coastal countries, meat, fat, fish, and vegetables are salted with sea salt, which only enhances the flavor. Avoid using iodized salt in preservation recipes, as it can slow down fermentation processes.
The next step is to knead the minced meat thoroughly. It’s best to knead it by hand, like dough, and you can even slam it against the work surface a few times. Place the finished mince in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator.
The natural casing for sardelki is a narrow pork intestine. This type of casing is sold prepared and doesn’t require any additional handling. The casing is salted, so the only thing I do is soak it in cold water to dissolve any large salt crystals. These crystals can sometimes tear the casing during stuffing. So, soak the casing and thread it onto the sausage stuffer attachment. It’s convenient to thread it in one-meter sections.
Transferring the minced meat to the tray and gradually stuffing the casing.
Assemble the meat grinder for stuffing the casing. Remove the blade, insert the sausage stuffer plate and the nozzle with the casing. Secure the setup with the ring. Transfer the minced meat to the grinder’s tray and gradually fill the casing, twisting it every 8-10 centimeters to form thick sardelki. Tie the ends of the casing in a knot.
Leaving the sardelki in the refrigerator for a day to mature.
Place the sardelki on a board and leave them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to mature. After 24 hours, you can boil them. To do this, place the sardelki in a pot, cover with cold water, and add salt. Heat until almost boiling, then cover tightly with a lid and let them simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. This is enough time to cook them through.
There you have it—your very own batch of delicious homemade chicken sardelki! The taste and texture are simply unparalleled, a true testament to the quality of fresh, homemade food. Serve them hot, straight from the pot, with a side of creamy mashed potatoes, tangy sauerkraut, or your favorite mustard. They are also fantastic when pan-fried or grilled for a crispy skin.
Store any uncooked sardelki in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze them for several months. Enjoy the satisfaction of creating a wholesome, delicious meal from scratch!
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