Saumagen – Traditional Palatinate Saumagen

Preparation

1. 01

   Cleaning and trimming

   Rinse the pig's stomach thoroughly inside and out under cold running water. Rub with coarse salt and flour, leave for 15 minutes, then rinse again. Scald inside and out with boiling water to neutralise any odour. Set aside.

2. 02

   Simmering on a low heat

   Place the pork shoulder, pork belly, potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic in a large pot. Cover with water (approx. 3–4 litres). Add the bay leaves, allspice berries and cloves. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 90 minutes, until the meat is very tender.

3. 03

   Removing and crushing

   Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly. Remove the potatoes as well and roughly crush with a fork (do not purée). Drain the carrots, onions and garlic and set aside. Reserve the stock.

4. 04

   Mincing and combining

   Finely shred the cooked meat with a fork or pass through a mincer (medium plate). Combine with the crushed potatoes, carrots (finely diced), onions and garlic in a large bowl.

5. 05

   Seasoning and binding

   Fold the marjoram, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper into the mixture. Add 2–3 ladles of the warm stock as needed, until the mixture is smooth but not too wet. The mixture should be easily mouldable.

6. 06

   Filling and tying

   Tie one opening of the prepared pig's stomach with kitchen string. Fill the meat and potato mixture into the stomach in portions, using your hands or a spoon, pressing firmly to avoid air pockets. Do not overfill the stomach – it will expand during cooking. Tie the open end securely with kitchen string.

7. 07

   Slow cooking on a low heat

   Place the filled stomach in the reserved stock (or in fresh water with a little salt). Cook slowly on a low heat (approx. 85–90 °C, the water must not boil vigorously) for 2,5 hours. Turn the stomach occasionally.

8. 08

   Cooling and pressing

   Remove the saumagen from the stock, wrap in a clean tea towel and weigh down with a weight (e.g. a chopping board with a heavy pan on top) and allow to cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.

9. 09

   Slicing and pan-frying

   Remove the cooled saumagen from the tea towel, remove the string and cut into slices approx. 1,5 cm thick. Pan-fry the slices in a little clarified butter over a medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Serve with sauerkraut, bread or mashed potato.