Morcilla
Morcilla is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Variants are found worldwide. Pig, cow, horse, donkey, sheep, duck, and goat blood can be used, varying by country.
Morcilla is a blood sausage, similar to what is known as black pudding in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and blood sausage in United States and other countries. The main ingredients are the pig’s blood and ground-up pieces of pork or offal. However, many variants are found worldwide. Pig, cow, horse, donkey, sheep, duck, and goat blood can be used, varying by country.
Each butcher or producer has its own secret recipe but most contain some of the following seasonings such as salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, rice, breadcrumbs, and nuts. All of this is encased in regular sausage casings and is then precooked before being sold.
Morcilla is a typical dish in Spain. We can find four types of morcilla in Spain: morcilla de Burgos, with rice; morcilla from ibérico pig's blood and fat; Andalusian onion morcilla, and smoked Asturian morcilla. In Europe and the Americas, typical fillers include meat, fat, suet, bread, cornmeal, onion, chestnuts, barley, oatmeal and buckwheat. On the Iberian Peninsula and in Asia, rice is often used instead of other cereals.
Since morcilla is already pre-cooked, you only need to place them over a low fire long enough to warm them through. As soon as the casing is nice and crispy then they should be ready.
If you cook morcilla from Argentina, please remember the texture inside can be quite soft with some varieties so use the utmost care when handling them. By leaving them on the grill for too long or by piercing the skin can result in a nasty explosion or oozing mess.
Because of their unique, seasoned flavor, Morcillas do not need any extra salt or sauce. Eat them alone to savor the blend of flavors and textures or place between two halves of a baguette. It might sound too heavy, but mixing it with good bbq meat and salad, is our perfect combination!