Boem potkovitsa / Pirot ironed sausage

This type of sausage is a top specialty produced from the highest quality meat mixed with spices. It is supposed to date back to the time of the Turks. Carefully selected pieces of goat, sheep and beef are most often used to make ironed sausage. For many, donkey meat is best. Pork is not used at all for two reasons: the first - because it spoils easily and quickly, and the second is related to the origin from the Turkish era, that is, the sausage is suitable for the Muslim diet. The meat is separated from all the veins, fat, and other unwanted impurities (so only the highest quality meat goes), it is minced and mixed with spices. The iron must have hot or at least discreetly hot taste, because its magic is in the intensity, specificity and variety of tastes. After filling, the sausage is tied in a U-shape and dried on a draft. They like the climate of Pirot, the optimal temperature should be between minus five and plus five degrees, without humidity and great frost. That is why the best period for making an “ironed” is the end of November - the end of December. During the drying period, sausages are ironed every two or three days (usually with a bottle) - which is why they are called irons - after which they get the shape of a horseshoe. This is how water is expelled from the sausage and ensures its longevity.