Step 1, Mix all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.Step 2, Roll them at desired shapes and sizes and wrap it in wax paper, if opting for skinless longanisa.Step 3, Boil for a few minutes. Break up the bay leaves with your hands as much as possible and add them to the spices in mortar and pestle, grind until you have a fine powder.
When you’re far away from home, you will miss every single thing you enjoy eating and doing back home, and this longganisa is one of my favorite breakfast staples (or lunch or dinner), that I miss so much. Though there are supermarkets that carry some Filipino stuff here, it is still not the taste I’m looking for. Some are too fatty, too sweet, others are so rich in food color and some are too small. That’s why I came up with my own version of Skinless Longganisa (using beef instead) and I’ve been using this for the past years. I can guarantee you, this is better than store-bought longganisa here in KSA.
Ah, the taste? well, the taste is similar to chorizo de bilbao (chinese sausage) only milder (this is the nearest comparison I can think of) sweet with a hint of garlic flavor 🙂
Ever wonder why this is called “skinless”? This is because, this variety of longganisa doesn’t use hog casing but instead wrapped in wax paper to keep its shape then removed before cooking.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 kilo ground beef (lean or 80% meat – 20% fat)
1/2 cup + 2tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp diluted atsuete (anatto seeds/powder)
2 tsp vinegar
PROCEDURE :
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the beef. Mix throughly until the sugar and cornstarch has dissolved. Taste and adjust accordingly.
In a big bowl, combine the marinade and beef. Mix thoroughly by hand in a kneading like motion.
Let the mixture marinate while you prepare wax paper or parchment paper, cut into 5″ x 6″ pieces.
Using a tablespoon, scoop 2 tbsp of your longganisa mixture into the wax paper and form into a log, 4″ long with 3/4″ diameter. Roll until you reach the end of the paper and fold both ends to secure. Repeat the process until you finish the mixture.
Storage
Divide the longganisa per your  desired serving pieces.
Put in a plastic bag or ziplock bag and freeze.
Thaw before cooking.
To Cook
Place your longganisa in a pan and pour 2 tbsp water.
Heat on low. Bring to boil while turning the longganisa occasionally for even cooking, before the water fully evaporate, pour 2 – 3 tbsp oil and fry until the longganisa is fully cooked.
NOTES
Let your longganisa sit in the fridge or freezer for a minimum of 24 hours before cooking. (update 5-28)
Always taste your marinade BEFORE adding your meat. This way you can adjust what you need to adjust and it’s easier to taste the marinade without the raw beef, isn’t it?
You can use pork (of course!). I suggest, 80% meat, 20% fat. The fat gives the longganisa additional flavor. But you can always adjust this ratio according to your own preference.
I suggest you keep a 4″ minimum length of your longganisa, since it may shrink during cooking process.
Precooking the longganisa in water lessens the chance of ending into a burnt and undercooked longganisa.
LONG = Longganisa (Sausage), SI = Sinangag (Fried Rice), LOG = itLOG (egg)
So, next time you crave for some, why not try to make this at home, this might be the taste your palate is looking for.
It’s easy and tasty too 😉
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Making Beef Jerky in a smoker, in my opinion, is the BEST way to make beef jerky. There is no adding liquid smoke, you let the wood of your choice infuse an intense flavor into your jerky. This way of making jerky is as close to how it was done hundreds of years ago. Plus you get to sit outside, drink beer, and stare at a smoking box all day. What’s better than that?!
Also, make sure to check out my Beef Jerky Recipes page.
Making Jerky in a Smoker
Start by buying a lean piece of meat, I am using a beef eye of round roast for this recipe.
Trim any visible fat from the meat. Fat will make your jerky spoil, so cut off as much as possible.
Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 1-2 hours to partially freeze. This step is not mandatory, but does make slicing the meat at a consistent width easier. A VERY sharp knife will also work well on non frozen beef. Slice against the grain at around 1/8″-1/4″ thick for an easier chew or with the grain for more chew. You can also skip the freezing stage and slice your jerky using a jerky slicer. I use a Weston Jerky Slicer. It makes sure all your strips are the same width which allows them to dry evenly. Having a slicer is great when making a lot of jerky.
Place the slices of beef to the side and assemble your jerky marinade. Once you have made your marinade, place the beef slices in your marinade and make sure they are covered evenly. Marinate the jerky in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours.
Cover the drip pan with aluminum foil to avoid cleaning up drippings after the drying process. It will make a mess if you do not put a layer of protection down. If you are like me, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour cleaning your smoker because you skipped a 30 second step in the process! I also put a small sheet of foil above the heating element to make clean up easier as well. Use a small piece of foil to allow air to easily flow from the bottom of the smoker up and out of the top.
Dry the jerky strips on paper towels to remove any excess marinade and either lay your jerky pieces across the metal racks of the smoker or use toothpicks and hang your strips. I have decided to use toothpicks to hang my strips. After drying the strips on paper towels, I slide one toothpick through one of the ends of each piece of jerky.
Place the top metal rack on the highest slot in your smoker, and hang your strips. The Dehydrator that is shown in the photos is my Masterbuilt Electric Smoker.
Open the top vent on the smoker 100% and dry for 1 1/2 hours at 170°F. *Do not put water in the water pan when making jerky if you soaked your strips in a “wet” marinade. If you used a dry rub to season your meat without any liquid, put a little water or vinegar in the pan during this 1 1/2hrs.*
Bring the temperature up to 180°F to 200°F and add a handful of wood chips to the smoker. Before adding the wood chips, soak them in water for about 10-15 minutes. Smoke at this temperature until the wood chips have quit smoking (about 30 minutes to 1 hour). A blue smoke should be coming out of the smoker if the wood is burning at the right temperature. If the smoke is a heavy white, increase the temperature of the smoker. This white smoke can give the meat a bitter taste and ruin the jerky. Lower the temperature back to 160°F and DO NOT add any more wood chips. Too much smoke will also ruin the jerky; 30 minutes to an hour of smoke is just perfect in my opinion. Leaving the wood tray door halfway open (after all the wood has finished burning) to allow airflow through the smoker also helps dry the jerky faster.
Continue to smoke at 160°F until your jerky bends and cracks but does not break in half. Periodically pull a piece out of the smoker and let it cool. Check to see if it is done by bending it AFTER it has cooled down (let cool for 5-10 minutes, this helps not to over dry). It should take a total of between 6 to 15 hours depending on the thickness of your jerky and the brand of smoker you have. With my Masterbuilt smoker, jerky normally takes between 7-9 hours to dry to my liking. (Make sure to stop BEFORE you think it is totally done. I have over dried more jerky in my smoker than any other drying method) During this final smoking step, I also leave the wood tray door open a small bit on the bottom of the smoker to allow air to circulate from the bottom of the smoker up and out of the fully opened top vent; this helps dry the jerky faster.That’s it! You just made your first batch of smoked beef jerky. Let me know how your jerky turns out in the comments below. Enjoy!!!