Black pudding or stuffed

Blood sausage It is a very common preparation in Colombia, made mainly with pig's blood. Which is seasoned with additives that vary according to each Colombian region where it is made, in each place it has its particular touch. With this preparation, previously cleaned pork casings are filled and fried in oil, generally pork or cooked in seasoned salted water.

History of the Morcilla or stuffed

It is claimed that the origin of blood sausage It was in ancient times in Greece, from there it went to Spain where it underwent variations. In Spain in 1525 the first description of blood sausage written by Rupert de Nola was achieved. There it was initially made by families of humble origins who used all the parts of the pig. Currently, to blood sausage It is consumed by Spaniards of all social classes in tapas or as part of other dishes.

From there the Spanish at the time of the conquest introduced it to Colombia and other countries in the region. Over time it spread throughout the Colombian territory, where in each region blood sausage it was enriched with the ingredients and seasonings used there.

Mocilla or stuffed recipe

Ingredients

2 liters of fresh pig's blood

1 ½ pounds of minced pork shoulder

Rice with previously cooked peas

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

6 chopped onion stalks

2 tablespoons of mint

2 tablespoons of pepper

4 tablespoons of cornmeal

Salt to taste

Clean pork casings soaked in warm water with lemon or orange

Preparation

• Previously, the rice and peas are prepared separately, seasoning each one with what is customary in the place where it is prepared, so that in this way they add more flavor to the dish, leaving them moist and loose.
• When having fresh pig's blood, add salt and a tablespoon of white vinegar so that it does not curdle and prevent contamination. It beats enough.
• Wash the pork guts well and soak them in lukewarm water with lemon or orange.
• Dice the pork shoulder, parsley and onion.
• In a container, mix the pig's blood, rice, peas, pork shoulder, parsley and onion, which have been previously chopped, also add the cornmeal, mint and pepper. They integrate well until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
• Drain the pork intestines and tie one end and fill with the mixture obtained in the step described above.
• The stuffed ones are cooked for 2 hours in water in a pot over medium heat, seasoned with salt, and the desired spices, some even add cubes of broth. Before adding the blood sausage to the water, it must be pricked with the orange thorn with a toothpick or other utensil in various parts to prevent the gut from breaking.
• They are removed from the water, drained and allowed to cool and then refrigerated. They are eaten fried or broken into portions.
• The blood sausage accompanies various dishes, among them the bandeja paisa, the popular Colombian fritanga, as an accompaniment to a Creole barbecue, or simply accompanied with a typical corn arepa.

Tips for making black pudding or stuffed

1. Clean the casing of the pig externally and internally very well because this part depends a lot on the fact that there is no contamination in the finished product.
2. To fill the casings with the mixture prepared with the pig's blood, rice, peas and other ingredients, it can help to use a plastic bottle cut approximately in half. You put the casing bordering the place where the bottle cap was, pour the mixture into the bottle and press so that the mixture enters the casing.
3. The mixture must not be left tight in the casing because it contracts with cooking. If the casing is stuffed too much, it may break during cooking.
4. when cooking the blood sausages Avoid covering the pot and thus prevent the blood sausages from bursting.
5. should not be consumed Black pudding They have been prepared for a long time, even when refrigerated they can last a maximum of 4 days in the fridge without freezing. They can be frozen if they are going to be consumed several days after they are made.

6. Neither should black pudding be consumed if the cold chain has been broken.

Did you know….?

It tienes Black pudding When prepared, you can open them and use their content to accompany a pasta, or to stuff paprika or aubergines, among other things.

Blood sausage It is a very complete food, from the nutritional point of view, as it is rich in protein, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, selenium, vitamin B12 and contains carbohydrates mainly supplied by rice and peas. The latter provide fiber that is satiating and helps digestion.

Yes when you prepare Morcilla You don't like cleaning and working with pig casings, you have the option of choosing one of the synthetic “guts” if you find them in your locality. There are different types, including:

• Edible collagen casing: it is a type of casing for sausages made with collagen, which makes it flexible and can be consumed without creating problems for the body.
• Plastic casings: it is a type of casings for sausages made with plastic material, which allow the elaboration of the Black pudding and even customize it by placing labels with the information of who makes them and their nutritional content. I suggest removing the plastic at the time of consumption.
• Fibrous casings: it is a type of casing for larger sausages such as ham, pepperoni, mortadella, among other products. They are resistant and permeable, which helps to preserve refrigerated products. They must be removed to consume the finished product.
• Vegetable casing: it is made of vegetable cellulose and is also used for large sausages.
• Thick type, they are of good quality and allow the handling of the product without contamination, it must be removed at the time of consumption.