Morcilla argentina

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Argentine morcilla is a blood sausage made from pig’s blood mixed with ingredients such as rice or grain, onions, pork fat, and spices, shaped into thick links with a dark exterior and a moist interior that ranges from soft to slightly firm, providing a savory, iron-rich flavor balanced by rice and aromatics. In Argentina the sausage became deeply embedded in the asado criollo barbecue culture, forming part of the set of grilled meats and offal that reflect both Spanish culinary inheritance and local cattle-and-hog processing practices where fresh blood, rice, and aromatic vegetables were incorporated to extend yield and enrich flavor. Preparation begins with collecting and straining fresh pig’s blood, sautéing onions until soft, mixing the blood with cooked rice, diced pork fat, salt, pepper, oregano, and other seasonings, filling the mixture into natural pork casings, and poaching the sausages gently so the proteins set evenly without bursting, after which the links are cooled and may be grilled or warmed before eating. Common variations include versions with rice that produce a slightly firmer texture, meat-only variants without rice, and morcilla vasca which incorporates ingredients such as raisins, nuts, and sometimes spices like nutmeg or paprika, while the defining feature remains the use of blood as the primary binder with onions and complementary seasonings. Argentine morcilla is eaten hot or warm, most often grilled as part of an asado alongside chorizo, ribs, and other achuras, and it is also served in sandwiches called morcipán with chimichurri or simply with bread and salad, where its rich, savory character pairs with acidic condiments and the smoky flavor of the grill.