Verivorst
Estonia's blood sausage, rooted in the pre-industrial autumn pig-slaughter tradition, when every farm killed its winter pig in late November or December and had to use the blood and offal within the week. Tradition holds Estonians should taste seven or twelve different dishes on Christmas Eve for good luck in the new year, and verivorst is always one of them. Pearl barley, not breadcrumbs or rice, is the traditional grain filler, along with marjoram as the defining spice — recipes that skip marjoram for a generic sausage seasoning miss the real flavor signature.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 500ml fresh pork blood
- 200g pearl barley, cooked
- 1 onion, diced
- 150g pork fatback, diced
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp marjoram
- Sausage casings
Steps
- Sauté the diced onion and fatback.
- Mix the cooked barley, sautéed onion and fat, pork blood, salt, pepper, and marjoram thoroughly.
- Stuff into sausage casings and tie off into links.
- Simmer gently in water until set.
- Roast or pan-fry until the casing is browned and slightly crisp. Serve with roasted potatoes and lingonberry jam.