Authentic Iberico Spreadable Chorizo, Sobrasada Ibérica 🐷 Spread this pork sausage on a crusty bread 🥖 for the best taste!
The Delectable World of Sobrasada
Sobrasada is a soft, spreadable Spanish sausage made from cured pork and paprika that hails from the Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain. This delicious sausage gets its distinctive bright red color from the sweet and spicy ground paprika (known as “pimentón”) added to the pork.
Unlike chorizo, sobrasada has a smooth, soft texture almost like pâté that is meant to be spread on bread, toast, or crackers. The pork, often from prized Ibérico pigs, is seasoned with paprika, salt, garlic, and other spices before being stuffed into casings to cure for 1-8 months depending on the size and shape. While related to chorizo, sobrasada is milder in flavor with hints of smokiness.
How Sobrasada is Made
Traditionally, sobrasada is made from fatty cuts of pork from the indigenous Balearic black pig breed mixed with paprika and salt. The pork, which can come from parts like the shoulder or belly, is finely ground and then seasoned with the pimentón (paprika), salt, garlic, black pepper, and sometimes oregano or spices like cumin.
The seasoned meat mixture is then stuffed into natural or artificial casings, tied off into links, pricked with holes, and left to cure through slow air-drying for at least 2 months. The sobrasada is hung to age anywhere from 60 days to a year, with the thinner casings curing faster. This air-drying process concentrates the flavors and gives sobrasada its characteristic soft, spreadable texture.
Enjoying Sobrasada’s Rich Flavor
The finest sobrasada comes from Mallorca, made with prized Ibérico pork from the indigenous Balearic black pig breed. Brands like Despaña’s Sobrasada Ibérica Fermín artisanally produce this cured sausage on the island using premium Iberico meat, pimentón, and spice.
Best enjoyed when spread on crusty bread and lightly toasted until it gets slightly melted, the rich, smoky sobrasada makes a delicious topping or sandwich. Warming it slightly in the microwave and spreading on bread drizzled with honey and Mahón cheese is another excellent way to savor this iconic Balearic Islands cuisine.
In Spain, sobrasada is often served in a small sandwich called a bocadillo, spread on crusty baguette-style bread. It also can be used to add flavor to stews, rice dishes, omelets, or pasta. Spanish restaurants may serve sobrasada-topped flatbreads called coca.
Sobrasada vs. Chorizo
While they both contain paprika, sobrasada and chorizo are not interchangeable. Chorizo is a hard, cured sausage that is sliced and cooked. Sobrasada is soft and spreadable, used without cooking. In terms of taste, chorizo is spicier and more intensely flavored, while sobrasada is milder with delicate smoky notes.
Other Sobrasada Questions:
Can you eat sobrasada raw?
Yes, sobrasada is cured raw pork that is safe to eat without cooking. It can be spread onto bread or toast and served at room temperature.
What does sobrasada taste like?
Sobrasada has a soft, smooth texture and a mild paprika-forward flavor with hints of garlic and pepper. It tastes lightly smoky and salty from the curing process. The flavor is richer than chorizo but not spicy.
What is the difference between nduja and sobrasada?
While both cured pork spreads, nduja is spicier with a more pronounced chili pepper kick. Sobrasada focuses more on the sweet paprika flavor. Nduja also has a looser, paste-like texture compared to sobrasada.
How do you eat sobrasada?
Sobrasada is best enjoyed spread on crusty bread or toast, either plain or with cheese or honey. It also can be used in cooking stews, rice, omelets, or pasta dishes to add rich pork flavor.
What is a substitute for sobrasada?
If you can’t find sobrasada, chorizo or pepperoni work as replacements in recipes. For a spread, liver pâté makes a good substitute. If going meatless, roasted red peppers and smoked paprika add similar flavor notes.
Can you eat the sobrasada skin?
Yes, the thin outer layer or skin that forms on sobrasada during curing is totally edible. Some enjoy eating it for the concentrated pork fat flavor. It melts when spread on warm toast.
Sobrasada is a Spanish charcuterie treasure that every food lover should try. With its soft texture and mild smoky paprika essence, this iconic sausage spread brings delicious Mediterranean flair to everything it touches.