From Scratch: How To Make George Mendes's Linguiça Dog

Linguiça sausage, a spicy Portuguese link of highly seasoned pig innards, is a staple of the menu at NYC chef George Mendes's popular restaurant, Lupulo. It's wood-grilled to a crisp and topped with cilantro, pickled carrot and onion, and chili-infused mayonnaise.

Chef Mendes uses the sausage in many forms, including in a breakfast sandwich at Bica. Over Labor Day, Lupulo featured a snappy, spicy, thoroughly satisfying linguiça dog, and we nabbed the recipe for the whole shebang. That is one lucky griddled New England bun. Ready to hone your sausage-crafting skills?

From Scratch: How To Make George Mendes's Linguiça Dog
No Ratings
Prep Time
1
hour
Cook Time
15
minutes
Servings
Makes
2 1/2 pounds
linguicadog
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds pork butt
  • 1/2 pound pork loin
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons minced white onion
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vinho verde
  • 1 3-foot hog casing
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • New England-style hot dog buns
  • cilantro, pickled carrot and onion, and chili mayo
Directions
  1. :::sausage:::
  2. Combine the pork butt, garlic, salt, paprika, white pepper, black pepper and red pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
  3. Pass through a food grinder fitted with a coarse die (alternately, transfer in 2 batches to a food processor and process until finely ground).
  4. Fold the diced pork loin into the mixture.
  5. Transfer to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
  6. Add the vinho verde to the meat, and stir well to combine.
  7. To test the seasoning, heat the oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
  8. Rinse hog casing, and stuff mixture into hog casing using a sausage stuffer.
  9. Preheat a home smoker to 250 degrees F. Smoke the sausage for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the smoker, and use as desired.
  10. :::linguiça dog:::
  11. Grill a linguiça link over high heat until cooked through and slightly charred.
  12. Grill the bun in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown. Top with the sausage and garnish with cilantro, pickled carrot and onion, and chili mayo.