Jaternice, also known as hurka, is Czech sausage made from pork meat, offal and cooked rice. Traditionally, Jaternice was made during zabíjačka, an annual event that revolved around slaughtering a pig. However, Jaternice can be made at any time of year and it doesn’t even need to be made into sausage. Using the recipe below, you can also be prepared made into a porridge that is delicious fried and then served with vegetables – baked potatoes are a favorite of mine.

For some, pork offal should be avoided at all costs. But before you click away from this page, keep in mind that the organs used in this recipe won’t have a strong flavor that you expect from the liver or heart. The seasoning, pork shoulder and marjoram helps to balance out the taste nicely.

In fact, Andrew Zimmerman talks about Jaternice being one of his favorite foods in this video.

You’ll need to grind pig liver and hearts so a meat grinder is recommended. If you don’t have one, another option is to ask your local butcher to process some for you. They can grind the pork shoulder at the same time.

How to make Jaternice (jtrnice)

Prep Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 onions (diced)
  • 11 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp. salt
  • 2 lb rice
  • 1 pork heart
  • 1 lb pork liver
  • 1 lb pork meat (shoulder)
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp marjoram

Method

  1. Add onions to a skillet with a splash of olive oil and sauté until browned all over. Set aside.
  2. Add water and salt to a large pot with rice and bring to boil. Cook rice until all the water has disappeared then remove from heat.
  3. Cook the heart, liver and pork shoulder in salted water for 45 minutes on med-high heat (or until the meat is soft).
  4. Cut off pieces of meat and add to the grinder until all the meat and offal is ground.
  5. Combine the rice, meat, pepper and marjoram and onion in a large bowl until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  6. Stuff the meat into casings, making 8″ links until all the mixture is used.
  7. Dip links in simmering water for 30 seconds and then add to cold water to stop the cooking process. This will shrink the casings so that it forms a nice tight seal around your meat.
  8. Allow the sausages to rest overnight in the fridge then freeze until required. Alternatively, bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-25 minutes until cooked through.

Best food to serve with Jaternice

Jaternice is quite a fatty, heavy sausage. To help provide some relief from this fat, it’s recommended to choose bitter flavors like sauerkraut.

  • stuffed peppers
  • sauerkraut
  • any fermented vegetables
  • bread
  • baked potatoes
  • beets
  • bitter greens like rapini or kale

You May Also Like: