L1 Recipe – Bonte Bentheimer Sausage in the Roman Style
Author: Coenraad Reinders, pig farmer, butcher, and chef at the Heerdeberg estate
Photography: Via Belgica
On the Heerdeberg estate roams the Bonte Bentheimer, an ancient pig breed descended from Roman stock. They spend almost the entire year outdoors on the estate, where Coenraad showcases the entire process of meat preparation – from breeding and slaughtering to cooking. As much of the animal as possible is used. That’s exactly what the Romans did as well. These sausages are therefore made with natural pork casing. Delicious – give them a try!
Ingredients (for 3 kg of sausage)
- 3 kg Bonte Bentheimer pork (1 kg lean meat, 2 kg fat)
- 1 bunch fresh wild garlic (ramsons)
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 7.5 g pepper
- 15 g salt
- Pork casings
Preparation
Mince the pork using a meat grinder. Finely chop the herbs and add them, along with the pepper and salt, to the meat. Mix thoroughly until the herbs are evenly distributed and the proteins in the meat have loosened.
Meanwhile, soak the pork casings in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinse them well. Carefully slide the casing onto the nozzle of your sausage stuffer. Feed the meat mixture into the stuffer until it begins to emerge from the funnel. Tie a knot in the end of the casing to keep the filling inside while stuffing. Fill the casings with the pork mixture, supporting the sausage gently with one hand as it fills. Once all the meat is inside, tie another knot at the other end.
Twist the long sausage into individual links of the desired size, alternating the direction of the twists for each link.
Before frying the sausages, make a few small cuts with a knife. This allows steam to escape and prevents them from bursting while cooking. Serve the sausages, if desired, with new potatoes, beets, baby leeks, and the pan juices.
Heerdeberg
Pater Kustersweg 20
6267 NL Cadier en Keer
043 311 0052
www.heerdeberg.nl
