The history of Thuringian red sausage dates back 600 years. A written record from 1402 documents the purchase of the cooked blood sausage at a monastery market. Good taste endures, and to this day, the red sausage remains a culinary delicacy. Characteristic of this sausage specialty is the visible, cube-shaped inlay of lean meat when sliced.
Thuringian marjoram provides the seasoning
For production, curing brine is injected into pork shoulders and pork cheeks. Both cuts of meat cure for a further 12 hours in the brine. The meat is then cooked at 80 degrees until its consistency is done, but not yet too soft. The cheeks and shoulders are cut into cube-sized pieces, while the pork liver is ground together with onions. The liver, meat cubes, and additional ground pork rind are mixed into a meat mass.
Pork blood provides the bright red color
A small amount of pork blood provides the typical bright red color. Seasoning with curing salt, black pepper, Thuringian marjoram, allspice, and cloves follows. The producers fill the meat into natural casings, pig bladders, or jars. The red sausage is heated one last time at 85 degrees before it is ready for consumption.
Thuringian red sausage has a hearty, spicy taste and a uniform appearance when sliced. Its color is bright red. This popular sausage specialty is served not only in the evening but also for breakfast. Frying thick slices of the sausage in a pan is also common. The production of this historic sausage specialty may only take place in Thuringia.
