Persian cuisine is characterized by its combined use of lamb and dried fruit as in these hearty lamb sausages. Serve rice pilaf on the side.
Thin sheep sausage casings (optional)
11/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder
1/2 pound lamb fat or beef fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1. If using sausage casings, prepare them as directed.
2. Cut lamb and lamb fat into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes on a sheet of plastic wrap on a plate and freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm.
3. While meat chills, heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until onion softens. Set aside.
4. Grind lamb and fat through the coarse disk of a meat grinder, or in small batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade using the on-and-off pulse button. If using a food processor, do not process into a paste, but ingredients should be very finely chopped.
5. Combine ground meat, onion mixture, wine, dried apricots, salt, pepper, turmeric, and ginger in a mixing bowl, and knead mixture until well blended. Fry 1 tablespoon of mixture in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
6. Stuff mixture into casings as described, if using, and twist off into 4-inch links; prick air bubbles with a straight pin or skewer. If time permits, arrange links on a wire rack over a baking sheet and air-dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 day before cooking. Alternately, if keeping sausage in bulk, refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.
7. Cook sausages as directed to an internal temperature of 160°F when pierced with an instant-read thermometer or as directed in a specific recipe.
Note: Sausages can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Once cooked, they can be refrigerated up to 3 days.