Andouille de Vire

Andouille de Vire refers to the chitterling sausage which is the product of Normandy, France, particularly from the little city of Vire which is still made in the same traditional way it has been for centuries. The hearty "Andouille de Vire" which is a rustic and simple chitterling product is made up exclusively of "ventrée" of pig, more commonly called chaudin, exclusively from 40% belly pork (large intestine), which is commonly known as chaudins, 43% pig guts (small intestine) and 17% other stomach offal, plus salt, pepper, herbs spices, and no fat or binders.

Once prepared and washed, the chaudins is cut in thin straps, is salted and put out of brine several days. This chitterling mix is then peppered, after which it is assembled and tied at the ends with hemp string and stuffed into a larger gut casing. This gives what is called a "green andouille", the first step in the cooking process. This andouille is then slowly smoked over a wood fire, preferably beech wood, sometimes for over a month. After smoking, the chitterling sausages are desalted for twenty-four hours so that they can take on some juiciness, then they are stringed and cooked in water or a court-bouillon stock at 95°C for roughly 6 to 7 hours. The finished product is a fairly handmade-looking cylinder, about 25 to 30 centimeters long and 4 to 6 centimeters round, with that characteristic color created by the exposure to air. The black hue is totally natural, and stems from the smoking process. It will take roughly three (3) kilos of raw chitterling sausage to make 500 grams of the Vire version. Andouille de Vircan be eaten cold, thinly sliced into some country loaf; or hot, pan-fried, on a bed of salad or with a handful of cooked potatoes or some cooked apples.