Kupati

Kupati (Georgian Pork Sausage)

Kupati is a traditional Georgian sausage made with a generous amount of fresh garlic, onion, black pepper and coriander. Georgian home cooks often smoke or pre-cook it over the grill, but the most accessible home version pan-fries the fresh sausage in its own fat until the casing snaps and the inside is just cooked through.

Prep

30 min

Cook

25 min

Total

55 min

Serves

6 sausages (serves 3-4)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1½ lb) pork shoulder, half diced, half ground, about 70% lean / 30% fat; Georgians often use a mix of pork and beef, pork-only is the most common home version
• •200 g (7 oz) pork back fat, finely diced, do not substitute lard - the rendered fat keeps the sausage juicy
• •1 large onion, very finely minced
• •5 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• •15 g (¼ cup, packed) fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, stems included - they carry most of the flavour
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •4 g (2 tsp) coarsely ground black pepper, Georgian kupati uses a heavy hand with pepper
• •1 g (1 tsp) ground coriander seed, optional but traditional
• •2-3 m (6-9 ft) natural hog casings, soaked in tepid water for 30 min and rinsed; collagen casings also work

Steps

1. 1 Combine the diced pork shoulder, ground pork, diced back fat, minced onion, garlic paste, fresh coriander, salt, pepper and ground coriander in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is sticky and uniform.
2. 2 Thread the soaked hog casing onto the mouth of a sausage stuffer (or a wide piping tip fitted to a stand mixer). Tie a tight knot at the end.
3. 3 Stuff the meat mixture into the casing, taking care not to overfill - the casing should look plump but still give when pressed. Leave about 5 cm / 2 in of empty casing at the top and tie off.
4. 4 Twist the stuffed casing into 12-14 cm / 5-5½ in links, twisting in alternating directions. Prick each link 2-3 times with a pin to release trapped air.
5. 5 Rest the sausages uncovered on a tray in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) so the flavours develop and the casings dry slightly - this gives a better snap when cooked.
6. 6 Cook the kupati in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbsp water, cover and cook 10 minutes, turning once, so the fat renders gently and the sausage cooks through without the outside toughening.
7. 7 Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium, and cook another 8-12 minutes, turning frequently, until the casings are blistered and deep golden and the kupati are cooked through. Doneness cue: insert an instant-read thermometer into the centre of a link - it must read 71°C / 160°F for pork. The juices should run clear with no pink remaining.
8. 8 Rest the sausages 3-4 minutes before serving. Kupati are traditionally eaten with a shot of chilled chacha (or dry white wine), sliced raw onion, fresh bread and a wedge of sour plum (tkemali) or pomegranate.