Roh, soft and moldy: The sobrassada not present itself at first sight to be seen as a delicacy. In Mallorca, however, the strange star of the pork sausage meat products, and often is - not quite legally - on their own slaughter.
The table is square, bulky and made of solid oak, along with hanging chains. The whitewashed walls are covered with a wipeable plastic. Here they are slaughtered, Catalina said casually. Here, in the rear of this narrow passage the old house. But that's nothing special. Pigs are now time for eating and for Catalina and her family still tastes homemade sausages always best. Is still a matter of course, right? In Mallorca, anyway.
Catalina is a small, petite woman, which shortly thereafter her 70th Birthday party is acting through her energetic manner, but much younger. Her birthplace is Esporles, a vast village in the mountains of Mallorca Serra de Tramuntana, and here they lived until today. "I have 45 years experience in the slaughter house," says Catalina proud. With animated hand gestures she explained the operations.
After the "cortador" who hired butcher, the animal is transported to the afterlife, the bled body scrubs it clean with hot water on him and cut him breaks. All parts are exactly this sort on the intended use, because almost everything is recycled. Blood is the basis for the sausage and butifarra Butifarron, soft fat is processed into lard. The harder parts of lard and meat are first class for the icon of the Mallorcan sausage reserved tradition - the sobrassada. A special Mettzubereitung with a thousand uses, red and rich, and a nightmare for vegetarians.
Lard in sweet or savory
Sobrassada is myth and everyday life together. As the Dutchman of matje, the sausage from Munich and Paris, the baguette is to the Majorcan this soft, paprikagesättigte sausage: a culinary fixed stars, an important constant of cultural identity. Like the pig in general. Ask for example, a Majorcan, how to cook a particular local delicacy best. Regardless of whether snails or saffron milk cap, the spicy mushrooms funnel of mountain forests, the answer is always "con carne, with meat.
What is meant is almost always pork. The French writer George Sand speculated malicious, that the islanders love their critters bristle more than their children. That was and is of course nonsense. But the fact that "El Cerdo" culinary at least since the expulsion of Muslim Moors in 1229, has an almost totemhaften status, can not be denied. Even the famous ensaïmada, Mallorca typical sweet or savory, owes its loose consistency of the abundant use of lard in the dough.
A heavy wooden door gives entry into Catalinas sausage chamber. There it is dark and cool. Rows of the Sobrassadas hang beside chains Butifarron and salted hams. An abundant supply. The family slaughtered every few months one selbstgemästetes pork and homemade sausages to order their supplies to a well-knit clientele. Entirely legal is not. The requirements for hygiene and craft rules are strict, and only officially approved butchers may sell their wares. Therefore Catalina wants to see their family name not given.
Schimmel gives flavor
Who sobrassada provides for the first time, they will not necessarily appetizing. Its shape is reminiscent of some bad sex organs. In original form, it is moldy. The cult of sausage that is a child of the weather, because of Majorca climate is extremely humid. In midsummer, the island may contribute wüstendürr, but during the rest of the year, usually where there is high humidity. With many consequences. Thus, homeowners and tenants often complain of moldy walls.
For the traditional meat of the haze of the sea is also a problem dar. The air drying of hams and Hartwürsten on the Spanish mainland, so popular in the Balearic Islands will not succeed completely. As a result, an ingenious method was to preserve the meat of pigs in a moist form. Thanks to salt, pepper, and especially bacteria.
"The meat for sobrassada must be completely bloodless," says Catalina. Get into the bloody flesh butifarra. Why? "Because sobrassada consists of raw meat. If there would be pure blood would spoil the sausage." As it was, it could quietly interfere with good storage and remain stable up to one year. Ramon Rosselló-Mora of the Universitat de les Illes Balears explains the reason. The method of preparation is done stimulates the growth of lactic acid bacteria, similar to this in sauerkraut, "says the microbiologist. The bacteria reduce the pH of the meat mixture from 7 to about 5 and the proliferation of other, preventing the triggering of decay microorganisms.
Also the added paprika probably contributes to the preservation. The specific flavor of sobrassada also comes through the activity of lactic acid bacteria in meat and concluded by mold, spread out on the sausage skin. "These are very important," said Rosselló-Mora. Today, the mold surface before the sale is usually wiped out. Factory sobrassada often moldy no more.
"Pork everything is good"
Of course, it exists almost everywhere to buy, but probably the most picturesque source of sobrassada and other Majorcan specialties can be found in the oldest part of the island capital Palma. The "Colmada Santo Domingo" is in the same street near the Placa Cort, a small gourmet shop, whose walls are at first only from shiny greasy meat products seem to exist. Beyond hiding bottles of olive oil and "hierbas", herbal, and bags of almond products, pies jars, spices.
In the midst of this seemingly slain diversity appears suddenly a face. Pierre Amengual, the owner, peering through the glass counter and eyeing the visitors left. For 125 years, there has been this business, he says. Amengual has undertaken to 1985th Its clientele consists of both astonished tourists and locals from knowledgeable, with whom he converses with professional information on nuances of flavor. But he may even sausages if he do all day is in their scents? The question seems to irritate Amengual. "Of course. Sobrassada I eat every day," he replies. Finally, it is very light and healthy fare "A lot of vitamins and minerals."
Even Catalina Esporles know such songs of praise to sing. "Sobrassada is very healthy, especially for children because it is just raw meat. Even doctors recommend it." Straight from the pig. 40 years ago had been different, however, that says the sausage expert. At that time, those who gave their kids eat pork were regarded as toxic parents. "So they said nothing about it and told all the kids got beef steaks."
The tradition of the slaughter house was kept until today, although with fewer and fewer families. Lack of time and lack of interest are the reasons. Catalina can not understand that. "Pork everything is good," she says with a broad smile. Who wants to still disagree?
Recipe: ensaïmada amb sobrassada
This bizarre-looking - and amazingly tasty - a combination of the sweet "national cake" and the Majorcan sausage abundantly shows have included the enthusiasm with which the islanders the sobrassada in (almost) all aspects of its cuisine. Of course there are also purely sweet Ensaïmadas form without the sausage slices, but not vegetarian. Schmalz always have to be there. About the historical origin of these Hefeschnecken there are different opinions. Some claim they are Jewish or Muslim origin, and were previously prepared with sheep fat.
Ingredients:
500 g wheat flour, two eggs, a tablespoon of olive oil, 50 g sugar (who's happy to do sweet) can also double this amount, a level teaspoon of salt, a sachet of dried yeast, 200 ml lukewarm water 200 g soft lard, 200 g sobrassada, ran apple slices or two sweet apples, peeled and thinly sliced, powdered sugar
Mix the flour well with the sugar, salt, and mix the dry yeast, mix the eggs with the olive oil. The water to flour, the egg-oil mixture well, and knead these ingredients in a smooth, supple dough, however, may not be of too moist and sticky. Where appropriate, you can add a little flour to reach the right consistency. Thereafter, the dough should rise in a warm place until his volume has about doubled.
Now the most important step of the following ensaïmada preparation: The dough is kneaded briefly and re-cut tennis balls into bullets. The latter will be rolled out on a floured work surface elongated and as thin as possible. Subsequently, each flat bread smeared with lard evenly, preferably with your hands and roll it gently on the longish side, so that you end each of a well-inch-thick, sausage-like rolling pin in her hand.
This can be somewhat protracted and then snail curled up on the greased baking sheets with wax. The spirals may not be tightly wound. Now the dough has to go again. In a warm environment adequate for this purpose usually two or three hours, but traditionally it is absorbed Ensaïmadas overnight. In this case, they should ask but rather cool, otherwise enters an excessive fermentation and the dough is slightly acidic.
When the snails have fluffed up nicely, they are covered with the apple slices and the slices sobrassada. The Ensaïmadas in the preheated oven to 200 degrees Celsius in 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. While it has cooled, sprinkle with plenty of powdered sugar and freshly baked dish.
Bon appetit!