Vigan longganisa is an Ilocano sausage delicacy with plenty of garlic and spices in the mixture. This longganisa is distinct from other native longganisa version because it is small and plump, it is not sweet unlike the popular longganisa we used to eat. The way to describe its taste is, it is spicy, salty, tangy and garlicky.
So if you are used to the taste of sweet meat like a traditional longganisa, then you might think twice before cooking this sausage. To make this sausage more authentic, use sukang Iloko or native vinegar. But if there is none available, using cane vinegar or apple cider vinegar will suffice. To make your hearty breakfast, you can serve this with fried rice and fried egg.
Distinctive flavors of Vigan Longganisa:
The uniqueness of Vigan longganisa is its combination of various tastes that include a blend of spicines, saltiness, sourness and sweet odor of garlic. This makes it deliciously unique compared to any other kind of longganisa because there’s no similarity in taste between them. No sugar or honey is added; consequently the taste is much richer and more savory than what we are used to in Filipino longganiza. It has been carefully seasoned with spices and garlic that will have you salivating at just the thought of it.
Authentic Ingredients and Substitutes:
To create an authentic longganisa, the recipe requires specific ingredients. Nevertheless, if some of them are difficult to find, there is always a good substitute that gives a similarly tasty result. Ideally, the main meat must be ground pork pigue or kasim. Crucial flavor profile is built by combining crushed and chopped garlic (optional) onions, salt, black pepper, soy sauce, vinegar (e.g., sukang Iloko or cane vinegar), and phosphate accord powder (optional). While native vinegar adds an authentic taste; cane vinegar or apple cider vinegar can take its place.
The Craft of Producing Vigan Longganisa:
Though the latter may take some effort and time to do, the results are rewarding. For example, you should mix ground pork and other ingredients together in a bowl and have them all blend well. Subsequently, you fill up or hog casings with a mixture while tying each portion after two inches.
Consequently, the sausages are hanged in open air for almost 4 hours that makes fat as well as superfluous fluid drop out of them. This step gives this longganisa its peculiar texture and taste. Lastly this is done by frying the sausages till they become brownish on a carajay which is done by boiling it first with small amount of water until it evaporates then adding some cooking oil then pan fried till browned.
Serving Suggestions:
You can have Vigan longganisa with a full breakfast. It goes well with fried rice and a sunny-side-up egg. All these flavors and textures will fulfill your morning needs. To complete the dish, you may also serve it with fresh tomatoes and sliced salted eggs which go well with its strong taste and provide for savory sausage’s counterbalance.
Wrap-up:
Vigan longganisa is simply one of the best when it comes to culinary delights, departing from the stereotypical idea of longganisa as being sugary sweet flavor. It has an exceptional blend of flavors that include pungency, savoriness, acidity, and garlickiness which gives it a distinctive taste. While the original recipe calls for specific ingredients, there are other suitable replacements that you can employ in order to make it mouthwatering sausage.
To prepare this longganisa at home all you need to do is mix it, stuff it into casings or skins (traditionally), dry them properly before cooking them. Do not forget to eat it alongside some fried rice, sunny-side-up eggs and whatever else goes together because that is what Filipino breakfast experience should be like. Explore your culinary talents by making this delightful longganisa today! Do you want to taste another kind of longganisa? Check this Alaminos longganisa too!
How to Make Vigan Longganisa
Equipment
- 1 Sausage stuffer Sausage stuffer
- 1 Meat grinder Meat grinder
Ingredients
- 1 kilo ground pork pigue or kasim 20% fat, 70% lean meat ratio
- 1/4 cup garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 Tbsp. onions chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp. salt up to 1 Tbsp.
- 1 tsp. phosphate accord powder mixed with 1 Tbsp. water optional
- 1 tsp. black pepper ground
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 1/4 Tbsp. vinegar sukang Iloko or cane vinegar
- 2 yards sausage or hog casing
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil optional
Instructions
How to make and cook Vigan longganisa:
- In a bowl, mix thoroughly the first eight ingredients until well blended.
- Stuff the mixture into casing and tie every 2 inches long with a string.
- Hang under direct sunlight for about 4 hours to allow fat and liquid to drip and dry.
- Heat a carajay and pour 1/2 cup water and 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil.
- Put in the longanisa. Cover and cook over low heat until all of the water evaporates. Prick each with a fork.
- When all liquid has evaporated, pan fry until brown.
- Serve hot with fried rice, tomatoes and sliced salted eggs. Serves 8
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips for Vigan Longganisa:
1. Quality Ingredients: Start with fresh and high-quality ingredients, especially the ground pork. Look for lean pork cuts like pigue or kasim, as they provide a good balance of meat and fat for the sausage. 2. Proper Mixing: When blending the ingredients for this longganisa, ensure that they are mixed thoroughly. Combine by hand ground pork, garlic, onions if using them, salt black pepper, soy sauce vinegar and optional phosphate accord powder in order to facilitate even distribution of flavors into the sausage. 3. Casing Selection: Choose sausage or hog casing that is of good quality and size. To make it more pliable and easier to work with soak casing in water before using it. Rinse it carefully so that no salt remains on it. 4. Stuffing the Casing: Start putting together mixture into casings slowly taking care not to leave air bubbles inside there. Do not stuff them too tightly since it can cause explosion during cooking; rather maintain a right balance between too much stuffing and too little one in each casing hence individual sausages are tied off every 2inches apart 5. Drying Process: Dry them outside in the sun for a period of four hours, during which they will be hung up and any excess moisture drips off. This is important for making longganisa taste and feel as authentic as real ones do. Alternatively, if there are no rays coming from the sun you can use an airy room or a food dehydrator to dry it up.Nutrition Notes:
Calorie and other nutrition information is derived from HappyFolks.Com recipe nutrition calculator. The percent daily value (%DV) is based on a daily 2,000 calorie diet.Nutrition Information (Vigan Longganisa):
Amount per Serving:325g, Calories:744kcal, From fat:432, Total fat:47.9g, Saturated Fat:17.1g, Trans Fat:0.4g, Cholesterol: 244mg, Sodium: 1134g, Total Carbohydrate: 9g, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 4g, Protein: 65g, Vitamin A: 1%, Vitamin C: 5%, Calcium: 18%, Iron: 28%