Dongming Sausage

Dongming Sausage

　　Dongming Sausage is a specialty of Dongming County, Heze City, Shandong Province. Also known as "powder sausage," it is a traditional delicacy from the county’s “Jin Family Old Shop.” With its rich aroma, savory yet not greasy taste, unique flavor, pure color, and high nutritional value, it is suitable for all ages and leaves a delightful aftertaste that keeps people coming back for more.

　　The Jin Family Powder Sausage Shop was established in the late Qing Dynasty during the Guangxu era by Jin Fushan, an ancestor of the Jin family, and has a history of over 100 years. The sausage is made from 80% lean pork and 20% mung bean flour, mixed with salt and dozens of seasonings such as cardamom, Sichuan peppercorn, and sesame oil. It is then stuffed into pig bladders, tied at the opening, and slowly boiled in water over high heat followed by low heat until cooked. Once sliced, the sausage reveals a bright color, a strong yet not greasy aroma, and is loved by people of all ages, becoming a renowned local delicacy of Dongming. Later generations of the Jin family and their relatives, the Li family, further improved the traditional process, making the product even more famous and often in high demand. In 1993, it was successively recognized as a “Heze Local Delicacy,” a “Chinese Famous Snack,” and a “Shandong Provincial Quality New and Special Product” by national, provincial, and municipal authorities. It was included in the “Government Procurement Meat Guide” by the provincial government, rated as a “Safe and Wholesome Food” by the municipal health bureau in 2005, and designated as an “Official Local Delicacy” by the International Peony Fair in Heze in 2006.

　　How to Make Dongming Sausage:

　　Curing

　　Before curing the pig bladders, first remove any external sinews and fat. Then, cure every 80 pig bladders with 1 kilogram of salt in two stages: for the first stage, evenly rub 2/3 of the salt on both the inside and outside of the bladders, place them in a jar or crock, cover, and cure. After 10 days, use the remaining 1/3 of the salt for the second rubbing, then return the bladders to the jar for curing. Three months later, take the bladders out of the brine, rub each one with 25 grams of salt, and then hang them to air-dry in a rush bag. This process removes the odor from the bladders and makes them softer and more elastic. Before stuffing, wash the inside and outside of the bladders six times to completely eliminate dirt and any residual odor. The treated bladders are now ready to be stuffed with meat filling.

　　Ingredients

　　35 kilograms of lean pork cut into 5 cm lengths and the thickness of chopsticks, 15 kilograms of fatty pork, 2.5 kilograms each of salt and sugar, 75 grams of mixed spices made by grinding and roasting equal parts of star anise (4 portions), Sichuan peppercorn (2 portions), and tangerine peel (1 portion), and 30 grams of saltpeter.

　　Filling the Sausage

　　First, mix the prepared meat strips with salt, saltpeter, and spices and let them sit for half an hour. Then add sugar and stir well. After 15 minutes, the mixture is ready for stuffing. When stuffing, use a platform scale to weigh the meat filling in different portions such as 200 or 250 grams, and stack them in a large enamel basin. To stuff the bladder: hold the bladder with both hands, use your thumbs and index fingers to pinch and turn the edges outward so the opening gapes, then fill it with the meat mixture. Next, hold the upper part of the stuffed bladder and gently press it on the table to expel air. Seal the opening with a bamboo stick, then tie a loose knot with thin string around the upper part of the sausage and the end of the bamboo stick. Pull tightly to tighten the opening, then trim off part of the bamboo stick. One small sausage is now separated from the stick, leaving only a short piece of string at the seal. Repeat the process for the next sausage. When the second sausage is stuffed and sealed, trim another piece of the bamboo stick, so both ends of the same string secure two sausages.

　　Drying

　　Place the stuffed sausages in the sun to dry for 2–3 days, then hang them in a ventilated, dry room for 3–4 months. Afterward, group the sausages in sets of four, layer them in a jar, and pour 1 kilogram of sesame oil over every 100 sausages. Stir to coat the surface of each sausage with oil, then cover the jar. They can be taken out and used as needed, helping preserve freshness and prevent spoilage.