Everyone knows that Argentina is the boss when it comes to meat and after the famous asado that I had on the weekend it was time to dive back into industrial Argentina, this time Sergio and Claudia led me to the Cooperativa Agropecuaria to see how the delicious chorizo sausage that I raved about on Friday night was made.
Cooperativa Agropecuaria “La Union” LTDA is a small scale production line where animals (sheep, pigs, cows and goats) are treated after they have been slaughtered and skinned. Due to current laws and policies the produce can not be sold or consumed outside of Chaco (the province) but the scale isn’t as small as it seems- 200,000kg of sausages, salami’s and cuttings are made and handled daily in the factory and Sáenz Peña, a town with a population of only 90,000 consumes 80% of it!!
Although immigrants were drawn to Sáenz Peña by the cotton industry they soon created cooperatives and got involved in other things and the Yugoslavians lead the way when it came to sausages. Unwilling to sacrifice the Eastern European diet for sausages/frankfurters they carried their traditions to Chaco with them and made their sausages (for family consumption only). It wasn’t long before they realised that it would be far more efficient to appoint a place for the Yugoslavian community to make their sausages together- this was how the Cooperativa Agropecuaria “La Union” LTDA was formed and today the whole production line still continues under the same roof- a 47 year old basic building and has no more than 8 workers on the factory floor at any one time! Luis Hopian was kind enough to show us around and lead us through the process.
The animals arrive in the factory skinned, de-headed and halved and at the factory they find a use for every single ounce that arrives. They are then cut into different pieces according to the cut of meat. The bones are then separated and after being dried and crushed are sold on as animal feed, being a great source of calcium. The soft fat is separated from the outer, tougher layer and goes on to be one of the main ingredients in the making.
The remaining meat is minced and mixed according to different recipes- the same recipe that the Yugoslavian’s used more than 40 years ago is still used today! They are then sorted to the appropriate controlled storage/oven until they mature to the final product.
The Chorizo Espanola (known to Europeans as Chorizo) is left to hang in a humid storage room where the controlled temperature and air movement helps the chorizo harden and toughen over a period of 30 days.
Krakovia is heated in a controlled wood burning oven for 45 minutes to create a salami-style final product. Chorizo ahumado (smoked sausage) is heated in the same oven for 2 hours and Mortadela for up to 6 hours.
These were just a few of the 47 variety of sausages and meat cuttings that Cooperativa Agropecuaria “La Union” LTDA are renowned for, it has a good reputation in Sáenz Peña and does business with a great portion of the city’s butchers and restaurants. As for the secret recipe; who knows what it is but from the bag full of sausage variety that Luis gave us it definitely works!
Cooperativa Agropecuaria “La Union” LTDA is a small scale production line where animals (sheep, pigs, cows and goats) are treated after they have been slaughtered and skinned. Due to current laws and policies the produce can not be sold or consumed outside of Chaco (the province) but the scale isn’t as small as it seems- 200,000kg of sausages, salami’s and cuttings are made and handled daily in the factory and Sáenz Peña, a town with a population of only 90,000 consumes 80% of it!!
Although immigrants were drawn to Sáenz Peña by the cotton industry they soon created cooperatives and got involved in other things and the Yugoslavians lead the way when it came to sausages. Unwilling to sacrifice the Eastern European diet for sausages/frankfurters they carried their traditions to Chaco with them and made their sausages (for family consumption only). It wasn’t long before they realised that it would be far more efficient to appoint a place for the Yugoslavian community to make their sausages together- this was how the Cooperativa Agropecuaria “La Union” LTDA was formed and today the whole production line still continues under the same roof- a 47 year old basic building and has no more than 8 workers on the factory floor at any one time! Luis Hopian was kind enough to show us around and lead us through the process.
The animals arrive in the factory skinned, de-headed and halved and at the factory they find a use for every single ounce that arrives. They are then cut into different pieces according to the cut of meat. The bones are then separated and after being dried and crushed are sold on as animal feed, being a great source of calcium. The soft fat is separated from the outer, tougher layer and goes on to be one of the main ingredients in the making.
The remaining meat is minced and mixed according to different recipes- the same recipe that the Yugoslavian’s used more than 40 years ago is still used today! They are then sorted to the appropriate controlled storage/oven until they mature to the final product.
The Chorizo Espanola (known to Europeans as Chorizo) is left to hang in a humid storage room where the controlled temperature and air movement helps the chorizo harden and toughen over a period of 30 days.
Krakovia is heated in a controlled wood burning oven for 45 minutes to create a salami-style final product. Chorizo ahumado (smoked sausage) is heated in the same oven for 2 hours and Mortadela for up to 6 hours.
These were just a few of the 47 variety of sausages and meat cuttings that Cooperativa Agropecuaria “La Union” LTDA are renowned for, it has a good reputation in Sáenz Peña and does business with a great portion of the city’s butchers and restaurants. As for the secret recipe; who knows what it is but from the bag full of sausage variety that Luis gave us it definitely works!
Ah Don we all know how much you love chorizo!!!
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