Landjäger
A semi-dried, smoked sausage from the Alpine regions of Europe, traditionally eaten as a durable snack on hikes. This recipe guides you through the process of curing, fermenting, pressing, and smoking to create the sausage's characteristic rectangular shape and tangy, savory flavor. Making Landjäger is an advanced project that yields a delicious, shelf-stable meat snack.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 13 days 9 hr
- Serves
- 12
- Difficulty
- Hard
Allergen information: may contain sulphites. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 750 glean beef, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 250 gpork back fat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 0.5 gbacterial starter culture, e.g. T-SPX
- 2 tbspdistilled water, non-chlorinated
- 2 tbspdry red wine
- 1 pcshog casing, 32-36mm diameter, about 2 meters
cure and spices
- 2.5 gprague powder #2
- 22.5 gkosher salt
- 1 tspdextrose
- 1 tspblack pepper, coarsely ground
- 1.5 tspcaraway seed, whole
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- 0.25 tspground nutmeg
Equipment
curing chamber · meat grinder · sausage press · sausage pricker · kitchen scale · sausage stuffer · smoker · mixing bowls
The method
Step by step
- 1
Place your meat grinder parts, a large mixing bowl, and the cubed beef and fat in the freezer for 30-60 minutes until well-chilled.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Keeping everything extremely cold prevents the fat from smearing during grinding, which is crucial for a good texture.
- 2
Assemble the grinder and pass the chilled meat and fat cubes through a medium grinding plate into the chilled mixing bowl.
About 10 min
- 3
Return the ground meat to the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.
About 1 min
- 4
In a small cup, whisk the starter culture into the distilled water and set aside for about 10 minutes to activate.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Use distilled or non-chlorinated water, as chlorine can kill the beneficial bacteria in the starter culture.
- 5
In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients from the 'cure and spices' group: Prague powder #2, kosher salt, dextrose, black pepper, caraway seeds, garlic powder, and nutmeg.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Mix the curing salts thoroughly with the other spices to ensure even distribution throughout the meat.
- 6
Remove the ground meat from the fridge. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the meat.
About 2 min
- 7
Pour the activated starter culture solution and the red wine over the meat.
About 1 min
- 8
Using your hands or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the meat until the spices are fully incorporated and the mixture becomes sticky. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Don't overmix, as this can raise the temperature of the meat.
- 9
Prepare the hog casings by rinsing them of salt and soaking in warm water for at least 30 minutes, or according to package directions.
Cook’s note: Flush water through the inside of the casing to ensure it's clean and easy to load onto the stuffer.
- 10
Load the meat mixture into your sausage stuffer, being careful to remove any air pockets.
About 10 min
- 11
Feed the casing onto the stuffer horn and stuff the sausage into one long, continuous coil. Tie off the end.
About 20 min
Cook’s note: Try to stuff firmly but not so tight that the casing bursts during linking or drying.
- 12
Twist the coil into pairs of links, each about 20-25cm long.
About 5 min
- 13
Use a sterilized pin or sausage pricker to poke any visible air bubbles trapped under the casing.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: This helps prevent air pockets where mold could grow and ensures even drying.
- 14
Hang the sausage links to ferment in a warm, humid environment (around 24°C / 75°F at 85% humidity) for 48 to 72 hours.
About 2 days
Cook’s note: A turned-off oven with the light on can create a suitable environment. The sausages should develop a distinct tangy aroma.
- 15
Lay the fermented sausage links between two clean boards or in a sausage press.
About 5 min
- 16
Apply a heavy, even weight on top of the board to press the sausages into a rectangular shape. Let them press in a cool location for 24 hours.
About 1 day
Cook’s note: Heavy books or bricks wrapped in plastic can be used as weights.
- 17
Cold smoke the pressed sausages for 4-8 hours using a mild wood like beech or apple. Keep the smoker temperature below 29°C / 85°F.
About 8 hr
Cook’s note: This step is crucial for the traditional Landjäger flavor and color.
- 18
Hang the sausages to dry in a cool, dark, ventilated space (12-15°C / 55-60°F with ~75% humidity) for 7 to 14 days.
About 10 days
Cook’s note: A dedicated curing chamber, a cellar, or a modified refrigerator is ideal for this.
- 19
The Landjäger are ready when they are firm to the touch and have lost 30-40% of their initial weight. Cut the links apart before storing.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Weigh a link before and during drying to track the weight loss accurately.
Keep it good
Store in the refrigerator wrapped in butcher paper or in a vacuum-sealed bag.
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