Homemade Grilled Longanisa

Ingredients:

• 2-4 natural sausage casings + extra in case some break
• 1.8 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 cm cubes.
• 1.8 kg pork belly, skinless or fat-free, freeze until fat is firm, then cut into 2 cm cubes.
• 1 head of garlic, crushed
• 1.5 cups light brown sugar
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil + more if needed
• 0.5 cup annatto seeds
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup coconut or distilled white vinegar
• Special equipment: a stand mixer with a meat grinder and sausage attachment, a sterilized needle, kitchen string, and metal skewers

Preparation:

1. Separate the husks and rinse thoroughly, then place in a bowl and cover with cold water; soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the husks, then strain the water through them. Return the husks to the bowl, cover with cold water, and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pork, lard, garlic, brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons each of salt and black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and freeze until completely set, but not frozen solid, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the annatto seeds. Heat until the oil begins to bubble around the seeds, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Combine the soy sauce and vinegar in a separate bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. About 30 minutes before cooking the sausage, chill all parts of the meat grinder together with the attachment in the freezer.
5. Fit the grinder with a coarse grinding plate. Place a large bowl inside a larger bowl of ice and place it under the grinder. Place the pork from the baking sheet into the grinder tube and grind on the lowest speed into the bowl.
6. Place half the ground meat into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed, gradually adding half the annatto oil and half the soy sauce mixture, for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl. Repeat with the remaining ground meat, annatto oil, and soy sauce mixture. Combine all the sausage in one bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
7. Attach the sausage attachment to the meat grinder. Lightly oil the tube and slide the natural casing onto it until there are 10 cm (4 in) remaining at the end; tie a knot. Fill the casing with the meat mixture (see instructions for spirals). Pierce the sausages every 2.5 cm (1 in) with a sterilized needle and refrigerate until ready to fry.
8. Let the sausages sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat the grill to medium and prepare the indirect heat zone: on a gas grill, turn off half the burners; on a charcoal grill, rake all coals to the side. Once the grill reaches 160°C-175°C, lightly brush the sausages with vegetable oil and place them on the cooler side of the grill (indirect heat zone). Cook, covered, turning once, for 20 minutes.
9. Transfer the sausages to direct heat and cook, turning and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 150°F (68°C), another 10 to 30 minutes. Let the sausages rest for 10 minutes before serving.
   
   Note
   
   To control the amount of meat entering the casing, apply pressure to the tip of the tube.
   
   To make it easier to grill the coiled sausage, insert 2 metal skewers into the coiled sausage, crosswise.
   
   To make individual sausages, twist the casing in opposite directions every 10 cm. If desired, tie the ends of the sausages with twine.

10. Spiral sausage

    
    Place half the ground meat in a bowl set over a large bowl of ice, then begin filling the casings, compacting the meat to prevent air pockets. Turn the mixer on medium-low speed and begin filling the first casing, adding more meat mixture when the compartment is about half empty. If air pockets form, pierce the casing with a sterilized needle, then gently squeeze the filling to fill the voids. Do not overfill the casing—it should be flexible. Once the first casing is full, remove it from the nozzle and tie a knot at the end; trim off any excess casing. Fill another long sausage in the same manner. Roll each sausage into a spiral and pierce each crosswise with two long metal skewers (straight ones).

11. To make sausages

    
    Following the instructions above, fill the casings with ground meat, but use only a quarter of the mixture per casing. Form 4 long sausages (do not roll them into spirals). Separate them into links, pinching them every 10 cm (4 inches). Twist the casings in opposite directions to form individual sausages. Tie with kitchen twine, if desired.