Eugenio's Sweet Longanisa

Combine sugar, salt, oregano, black pepper, and curing salt in a small bowl; mix until well blended. Set the mixture aside for later use.

In a large mixing container, combine ground pork and ground pork fat; add minced garlic to the mixture. Sprinkle the sugar mixture from earlier over the meat, then pour in vinegar; thoroughly mix everything together.

Rinse hog casings thoroughly to remove any residual salt or brine; tie a knot at one end of the casing and thread the other end onto a sausage stuffing tube. Fill the casing with the prepared pork mixture, twisting it every 2 1/2 to 4 inches as you go along. Once all the mixture has been used, tie a knot at the end of the last link.

Tightly secure the ends of each sausage link using fine cotton kitchen twine, then cut between each link to separate them. Transfer the links to a glass or plastic container; cover and refrigerate for 4 days, allowing them to mature. After this time, the sausages can be frozen for later use.

To cook longanisa, fill a skillet with 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water; add the thawed sausage links. Simmer over medium-high heat until the water evaporates, taking about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and allow the sausages to fry in their own fat until they turn golden brown, taking about 8 minutes more.