So today, like ages ago, Homemade meats are made here in winter with a view to the numerous holidays in this period. While spending Christmas in Koprivsztica, we had the opportunity to try a wonderful bow produced by our hosts. That dry sausage, an ideal appetizer for plum rakia, it even surpassed the perfect "sudżuk."” (a variety of horseshoe-shaped arch), which we bought with great difficulty in Sofia warehouses. The grandfather of the lady of the house turned out to be a master of the art of cold cuts, to whom our delights gave a clear pleasure. So when the discussion at the table touched culinary matters, Kosta's grandfather, without hesitation, revealed to us the secrets that guarantee the success of his cured meats.
Preparing the bow for household needs, Kosta's grandfather takes more or less 8 kg of tender pork, 2 kg of lard and 4 kg of veal. The meat is passed through a grinder with a fine strainer, and the lard is cut into small cubes. Everything is mixed carefully with 200 g of salt, 40 g of black pepper, 50 g cumin, 40 g sugar and a small amount of crushed garlic. Then it puts the mass aside in a cool place, and after 24 at. he fills the pig's thin intestines with it and ties them on both sides. Hang sausages in a ventilated place, usually in the attic, to dry.
It shocked us a lot, that home-made meats are dried here, not smoking. However, when we tried to include our advice in the given recipe, talking about juniper smoke, grandfather waved his hand dismissively. It is not it. And it turned out right away, that drying the bow is not such a simple matter. According to the rules of Bulgarian cuisine, in which the preparation of each dish requires numerous steps, Of course, hanging sausages on a rail is not the final touch. Every now and then, approximately at weekly intervals, the bends should be pressed with a roller or simply with a bottle, so that they get a flat shape, which gives them greater durability. Drying takes approx. 50 days, then the arches are wrapped in paper and poured with charcoal.
Grandpa Kosta, who clearly was not afraid of competition and was indulgent with our interest in the production of cold meats, he supplemented his story with a recipe for "nadeniczki". They are mostly made of pork, which is ground together with the lard. On 1 kg of meat are added 20 g of salt, 4 g of pepper, 4 g of cumin and a little chubrica. The rest of the procedure is analogous to the arc with this, that these sausages are dried for a little less time. Nadenice is often served fresh here as well, after baking in the oven or on the wire rack. Because these sausages are made in the thin and long intestines of veal, on the plate take the shape of a bib. This is how we used to eat them in the Odessos snack bar in Varna, where - served with "Ijutenica” (tomato and pepper puree with the addition of finely chopped onion) - were our favorite dish. "Lutenica” also appears in Poland, Unfortunately, for some time now, jars with a cheerful label have disappeared from store shelves forever.
One of the most sought-after Bulgarian cold cuts by foreigners is the famous "Karłowski babek" - a specialty of the factory in Karłów, which is the only one in the country that produces this sausage. "Babek" is made in sheep's intestines, from pork meat from ham with the addition of bacon. It is prepared similarly to a bow, however, using slightly different spices for the ground meat. Apart from salt and pepper, saltpetre is also added to the sausage, sweet red pepper, sugar and cardamom.
