Charcutepalooza May Challenge: Merguez

This month’s charcutepalooza challenge was a simple one: to grind meat for bulk sausage. Merguez is one of my favorite types of sausage and thankfully it is easy for me to find. I never thought of making it until now. I looked through many recipes and sort of ended up making a variation from our bible, Charcuterie. Merguez is good by itself or served over rice, but my favorite way to eat it is on freshly made flatbread and doused with tahini-lemon yogurt sauce.

Merguez
1 pound lamb shoulder
4 ounces pork back fat (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic
2 tablespoons diced roasted red peppers
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon Harissa
Combine all ingredients, chill well, then grind in a food processor or in a KitchenAid grinder attachment. Refrigerate over night to let the flavors develop. Shape into little sausage logs and cook in a bit of oil until browned. Serve merguez on freshly made naan and drizzle with yogurt sauce.

Naan
2/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter, for dough
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Combine water and yeast and set aside 10 minutes to proof. Add flour and salt to yeast mixture and combine. Add yogurt and butter. Knead dough for five minutes. Put dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 90 minutes or until doubled in size. Knead dough for five minutes and divide into 6 pieces, approximately about three ounces each. Roll out each piece into a
five inch round. Cover a cookie sheet with canola oil, place naan on it and brush naan with butter. Broil naan for two minutes, then flip, brush with butter and broil for another two minutes.

Tahini-Lemon Yogurt Sauce
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on how tart you like your sauce)
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.