Boudin

Ingredients

• For the braise
• 700 g pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 250 g pork liver, trimmed, cut into large pieces
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1.5 litres water, enough to cover the meat
• For the filling
• 500 g long-grain white rice, cooked; grains must remain distinct
• 6 green onion tops, finely sliced; added raw
• 30 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; added raw
• For the casing
• 2 m natural hog casings, rinsed and soaked in cold water

Method

1. 1
   Place the pork shoulder, pork liver, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning in a large pot. Cover with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Braise until the shoulder and liver are completely tender and offer no resistance to a skewer — the shoulder should be falling apart, the liver cooked through with no pink remaining. Remove the meat and set aside. Strain the braising liquid and reserve it: this is the seasoning vehicle for the entire dish.
2. 2
   When cool enough to handle, grind or process the pork shoulder and liver together through the coarse plate of a meat grinder, or pulse in a food processor to a rough, uneven texture. The mixture should retain some texture — not a smooth paste, not coarse lumps. The ratio of meat to cooked rice by volume is roughly equal; the liver should constitute approximately 25–30 percent of the total meat component. This is where the dish lives or dies: without the liver in its correct proportion, the mineral, iron-rich depth is absent and the result is seasoned rice in a casing, nothing more.
3. 3
   Combine the ground meat mixture with the cooked long-grain rice in a large bowl. Add reserved braising liquid, a ladleful at a time, working it through the mixture until the consistency is moist and cohesive but not wet — the mixture should hold a shape when pressed but release moisture when squeezed firmly. Too little liquid produces dry boudin; too much causes the links to burst during steaming. Add raw green onion tops and parsley last, stirring them through the hot mixture only at this point. Taste for seasoning and adjust with Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and black pepper. The filling should be assertively seasoned — it will mellow inside the casing.
4. 4
   Thread the soaked natural hog casings onto the stuffing tube. Fill loosely — not tightly — allowing the casing to sit slack around the filling. The rice expands during cooking; overstuffed casings will burst. Twist or tie into links of approximately 15–18 cm. The casing should feel soft and pliable, with visible give when pressed.
5. 5
   Steam or simmer the links gently — do not boil at a rolling boil. Steam over simmering water, or simmer in water held just below a boil, until the casing is firm and taut and the filling is hot throughout. The casing should feel snug and resistant when pressed; it should not split or weep. If the links are to be finished on a grill, use indirect, low heat only, turning frequently, until the casing crisps without charring.