Syrian Sujuk

Sujuk  is dry and spicy meat that looks like sausage and it is very delicious. Armenian cuisine has been famous for sujuk for many years. The Armenians were the first to make sujuk, and then it quickly spread throughout the Balkans, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.

There were various ways to prepare the sujuk during the Middle Ages. It spread to Syria when the Armenians entered from Turkey to Syria and Lebanon.

Then sujuk quickly became a core element of traditional Syrian food.

Sujuk consists of ground meat (usually beef or lamb, and even horsemeat has also been used). Black pepper, Aleppo pepper, whole garlic cloves, red pepper powder, and cumin are added to the meat before it is ground.

It is commonly served as a mezze dish, fried thin slices of sujuk in a pan with a bit of butter, while larger pieces may be grilled with eggs.

Sujuk can be added to many dishes including fava bean stew, filled phyllo dough pastries, and as a topping for pizza or pie.

Sujuk can be dried for at least three weeks before it is ready to consume. The main difference between types of sujuk tends to be the choice of meat as well as the level of spiciness involved.

1 pound coarsely ground beef

1 pound coarsely ground lamb

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp paprika

1 ½ tsp cumin

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp sumac

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground mustard seeds

1 tsp salt

2 ½ tsp olive oil

¼ cup water

1- Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.

2- Remove the sausage casings and run under cold water to rinse then place them in a bowl of cold water for an hour to soak.

3- Use a sausage stuffer to fill the casings with the prepared meat filling. Once you fill an entire casing, tie off, then twist the casing every 8″ to create links. Remember to alternate the direction you twist each link to stop them unravelling easily.

4- Use something sharp like a toothpick to prick each link to remove any air bubbles.

5- Roll the links in salt and tie one end to a piece of twine. Hang in a cool, dry area without humidity.

6-Every day, give each sausage a light squeeze to ensure no air is trapped. After six weeks your sujuk will be ready to consume.