Swedish Christmas Sausage
Submitted by kara
Homemade Swedish Christmas sausage (julkorv) stuffed into natural hog casings with ground beef, mashed potatoes, allspice, and cloves. A treasured Scandinavian holiday tradition you can make ahead and freeze for the big day.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
45 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
6 hrsIn Swedish households, Christmas isn’t complete without julkorv on the table.
These homemade sausages are a labor of love: ground beef mixed with mashed potatoes, sautéed onions, and a warm spice blend of allspice, cloves, oregano, and bay leaves, all bound together with beef stock and stuffed into natural hog casings.
The mashed potatoes aren’t filler. They give the sausage a lighter, almost creamy texture you won’t find in store-bought links.
Make them ahead, freeze in batches, and pull them out when the holiday spread demands something special.
Baked low and slow with a little water in the pan, they come out browned, juicy, and fragrant with warm spice.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak hog casings overnight in salt brine and rinse well before stuffing. This softens them and removes any residual salt taste.
- Don’t pack the casings too tight. The filling expands slightly during cooking, and overstuffed sausages burst.
- Fry a small pinch of the seasoned meat mixture before stuffing to taste-test your spice balance. Allspice should be present but not overpowering.
- These freeze well for months. Defrost fully before baking for even cooking.
Ingredients
Directions
Get hog casings from your butcher.
You may need to order them ahead of time.
Pick up casings the day before you make the sausage and soak them overnight in a mild salt brine in your refrigerator.
Rinse with cold water before using.
Make mashed potatoes (packaged are fine).
Chop onions finely and sauté in a little Crisco.
Do not let brown. Cool. Mix very thoroughly meat, mashed potatoes, onions, allspice, salt, pepper, bay leaves, oregano, powdered cloves and stock.
Put a little vegetable oil on spout of grinder or sausage machine.
Fry a pinch of mixture in Crisco to test the flavor.
Add more seasonings if you need them. Flavor of allspice is important but should be subtle.
Mixture should be light.
Add more stock if needed.
Rinse casings in cold water and cut into 16-inch pieces (approximately).
Tie one end of each section. Fill grinder or sausage machine with meat mixture.
Ease end of casing (about 2 inches) onto spout.
Turn handle slowly. Stop turning 1½ inches from end of casing.
Don’t pack sausage casing too tightly.
Remove from spout and tie second end. Put in Baggies and freeze or refrigerate in a mild salt brine with Saltpeter, not more than 4 or 5 days.
To cook, defrost and set oven at 250 degrees.
In an open shallow pan, put 2 tablespoons of Crisco and ½ cup water (or just ½ cup water).
Place sausages in pan and cook for 45 minutes.
Turn once to brown evenly. At the end of 45 minutes, if not completely browned, turn heat to 350 degrees, but watch sausages so as not to burn them.
For dinner, cut in 1½-inch pieces.
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