Meats and Sausages
Utopence Sausage
Utopence sausages are served in Czech Republic everywhere. In bars, homes and restaurants. The word utopenec means "drowned." Similarly, In Polish the word "utopieniec" means a person that has drowned. Utopence is not a sausage that is made in a strict adherence to ingredients that is composed of, but it is rather a method of preparing the sausage. Utopence is pickled sausage as it is marinated in vinegar for 1-2 weeks. Sausage, onions, salt, vinegar, sugar and spices are main ingredients. Hot peppers are added for hot version of the sausage. Often little fermented cucumbers are added.
Best utopence sausages are made with sausages that look like Polish Serdelki or Parowka sausages. Kind of American hotdog, but shorter and much thicker. Making your own 32-36 mm, 4 inch long pork sausage with bits of backfat inside will be a good choice.
| Materials | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Short sausages, about 6 inch long | 12 pcs | 12 pcs |
| onions | 1 kg | 2.2 lb |
| vinegar, 5% strength | 750 ml | 25.4 oz fl. |
| water | 500 ml | 17 oz fl. |
Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of materials
| salt | 18 g | 3 tsp |
| sugar | 15 g | 3 tsp |
| black peppercorns | 20 | 20 |
| allspice | 10 berries | 10 berries |
| bay leaf | 2 leaves | 2 leaves |
| garlic | 4 cloves | 4 cloves |
| fresh jalapeno pepper | 1 | 1 |
Instructions
- Mix vinegar with water. Add all spices (except garlic) and bring to a boil. Cool the brine.
- Peel and slice lengthwise in half each sausage.
- Cut onions in half, then thick slice them.
- Arrange layers – onions, sausage, onions, sausage etc, in 1 gallon glass jar until the jar is 3/4 full. Add garlic cloves. Adjust the lid.
- Pour cold brine over sausage and onion layers.
- Place in cold area for 1-2 weeks.
- Serve with bread and beer.
Notes
Brine should cover all ingredients. * In Czech Republic vinegar contains 8% acetic acid, In Poland 8 or 10%. Fermented cucumbers are often added.
