Sucuck

The Turkish Sucuk (Soudjouk) is the most popular dry fermented meat product in Turkey and other Middle Eastern Countries. As most of those countries practice Muslim it comes as no surprise that pork is not included in the recipe and the sausage is made from beef and lamb. The Turkish Food Codex (2000) states that high quality ripened sucuks should have pH values between 5.2 and 5.4.

Meats Metric US
lean beef 700 g 1.54 lb.
lean lamb/mutton 300 g 0.66 lb.

Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat

salt 28 g 5 tsp.
Cure #2 2.5 g ½ tsp.
dextrose (glucose), 0.3% 3.0 g ½ tsp.
black pepper 5.0 g 2½ tsp.
red pepper 5.0 g 2½ tsp.
cumin 10.0 g 5 tsp.
garlic 10.0 g 5 tsp.
allspice 2.0 g 1 tsp.
olive oil (1%) 10.0 g 2 tsp.
T-SPX culture 0.12 g use scale

Instructions

  1. Grind beef and lamb through 3/16” plate (5 mm).
  2. Mix all ingredients with meat.
  3. Stuff firmly into 38 mm casings.
  4. Ferment at 20º C (68º F) for 72 hours, 90-85% humidity.
  5. Dry at 16-12º C (60-54º F), 85-80% humidity for 1 month.
  6. Store sausages at 10-15º C (50-59º F), 75% humidity.

Notes

Cinnamon and cloves are often added.

Sucuk is a very lean sausage.

Olive oil (up to 5%) is often added as a replacement for beef fat, which has poor sensory qualities.