A prestigious dry-cured sausage from Slavonia, made with seasoned beef and hot paprika, slowly smoked and aged for months until firm and intensely flavorful. Croatia's most prized charcuterie.
Ingredients
3kg lean beef, coarsely ground
500g beef fat
5 tbsp hot paprika
3 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
Natural beef casings
Hardwood for smoking (oak, beech)
Instructions
1Coarsely grind lean beef and cut beef fat into small cubes. Mix together with hot and sweet paprika, salt, and crushed garlic.
2Let the seasoned meat mixture rest refrigerated for 24 hours for the flavors to develop.
3Stuff tightly into natural beef casings, forming thick sausages about 30cm long. Tie ends securely and prick to remove air bubbles.
4Cold-smoke the sausages over hardwood for 2-3 weeks, maintaining a cool temperature and good air circulation.
5Hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated curing room for 4-6 months until firm, dry, and developed in flavor.
6Slice thinly and serve at room temperature as an appetizer, with bread, cheese, and pickled vegetables.
Did You Know?
Authentic Slavonian kulen is so prized that it has been granted EU protected geographical indication status — only kulen made in Slavonia with traditional methods can bear the name.