Morcela Blood Sausage

Morcela Blood Sausage

Rich pork blood sausage simmered with rice, onions, and warm spices in natural casings.

Total 4 hr Makes 8 servings Calories 410/serving

Dietary

Wheat free, Dairy free, Nut free

Allergens

Red meat

Morcela is a Portuguese blood sausage enriched with pork fat, rice, and warming spices like cumin and cinnamon. Traditionally made during winter pig slaughters, it has a dense, slightly crumbly texture and deep savory-sweet flavor. Serve it sliced and pan-fried as part of a hearty breakfast or alongside roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh pork blood
  • 1 pound pork fatback, diced small
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 2 cups yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 feet natural hog casings, soaked and rinsed

Method

  1. Soak the hog casings in warm water for 30 minutes, then flush the inside of each casing thoroughly with running water and set aside in a bowl of water.

  2. Heat olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply softened and golden, about 15 minutes.

  3. Add the diced fatback to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders slightly and the pieces turn translucent at the edges, about 10 minutes.

  4. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

  5. In a large bowl, combine the pork blood, cooked rice, cooled onion-fat mixture, salt, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a sturdy spoon until evenly combined.

  6. Fit a sausage funnel or stuffer with the soaked casing, tying off the end securely with kitchen twine. Ladle the blood mixture into the stuffer and fill the casing, leaving a little slack to avoid splitting, then tie off the other end.

  7. Twist or tie the filled casing into 6-inch links, pricking each link a few times with a needle to release trapped air.

  8. Bring a 12-quart stock pot of water to a gentle simmer over medium heat and add the bay leaves. Lower the sausages into the water, keeping the temperature just below a boil to prevent splitting.

  9. Poach the sausages at a gentle simmer, turning occasionally, until firm throughout and no longer releasing liquid blood when pricked, about 45 minutes.

  10. Transfer the sausages to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, before refrigerating or slicing to serve.

  11. To serve, slice the morcela into rounds and pan-fry in a dry 9-inch skillet over medium heat until the cut sides are crisp, about 3 minutes per side.

Rate this recipe

★ 4.3 (1)

Morcela Blood Sausage

Morcela is a Portuguese blood sausage enriched with pork fat, rice, and warming spices like cumin and cinnamon. Traditionally made during winter pig slaughters, it has a dense, slightly crumbly texture and deep savory-sweet flavor. Serve it sliced and pan-fried as part of a hearty breakfast or alongside roasted vegetables.

4 hr 8 servings 410 cal

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh pork blood
  • 1 pound pork fatback, diced small
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 2 cups yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 feet natural hog casings, soaked and rinsed

Method

  1. 1

    Soak the hog casings in warm water for 30 minutes, then flush the inside of each casing thoroughly with running water and set aside in a bowl of water.

  2. 2

    Heat olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply softened and golden, about 15 minutes.

  3. 3

    Add the diced fatback to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders slightly and the pieces turn translucent at the edges, about 10 minutes.

  4. 4

    Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

  5. 5

    In a large bowl, combine the pork blood, cooked rice, cooled onion-fat mixture, salt, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a sturdy spoon until evenly combined.

  6. 6

    Fit a sausage funnel or stuffer with the soaked casing, tying off the end securely with kitchen twine. Ladle the blood mixture into the stuffer and fill the casing, leaving a little slack to avoid splitting, then tie off the other end.

  7. 7

    Twist or tie the filled casing into 6-inch links, pricking each link a few times with a needle to release trapped air.

  8. 8

    Bring a 12-quart stock pot of water to a gentle simmer over medium heat and add the bay leaves. Lower the sausages into the water, keeping the temperature just below a boil to prevent splitting.

  9. 9

    Poach the sausages at a gentle simmer, turning occasionally, until firm throughout and no longer releasing liquid blood when pricked, about 45 minutes.

  10. 10

    Transfer the sausages to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, before refrigerating or slicing to serve.

  11. 11

    To serve, slice the morcela into rounds and pan-fry in a dry 9-inch skillet over medium heat until the cut sides are crisp, about 3 minutes per side.