Smoked Kielbasa Recipes

HOMEMADE SWOJSKA POLISH KIELBASA

Steps:

• Grind pork, beef and pork belly/back fat on a medium size plate, 4.5mm (3/16") - 6mm (1/4").
• Add the ice water, all of the spices and mix well.
• Stuff into small size hog casings (28-32mm), tie into rings and hang to dry at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
• Preheat smoker to 140F, or 150F-160F max if your smoker can't get that low.
• Hang sausages in the smoker and dry for 30-60 minutes, until the skin is dry to touch. Then apply smoke for 3-4 hours.
• Remove sausages once the internal temperature has reached 154F. If the internal temperature is not rising too well after 3-4 hours of smoking, raise the temperature to 170F-175F. You may have to go to 195F if necessary. Alternatively, poach the sausages in 167F water for 25 - 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 154F. Poaching is a much quicker and more effective method.
• Cool the sausage down and store in a refrigerator or a freezer.Cooling can be achieved by placing sausage in an ice bath to cool it down quickly. It with result in a fuller, more plump product.Alternatively, you may let the sausage cool down at room temperature and then refrigerate. This will result in the sausage less plump and slightly wrinkled, but this this is my preferred method. Ice water bath removes smoke residue from surface making the sausage less smoky in flavor and pale in color.A reader suggested another effective cooling technique - placing the sausage flat on a cool surface, like a counter top.

HOMEMADE KIELBASA

Steps:

• The better and fresher the meat is, the better the taste of the kielbasa.
• They say it adds a little moisture and some additional flavor.
• Others want all lean meat in their sausage.
• The next step is to slice narrow strips of the pork and cut those strips into thirds.
• Then grind the pork using a medium size plate in the grinder.
• This grinds the meat coarse.
• When making traditional homemade kielbasa, the meat should be a little chunky.
• This is where commercial kielbasa with its smooth, mealy texture is inferior to hearty, substantial, homemade, traditional version.
• Once you grind the meat, it's time to add the spices.
• Mix the salt, Cure #1, sugar, black pepper, garlic, onion powder, mustard seed and water and mix thoroughly into the meat.
• When the meat mixture is prepared and you are ready to stuff it into the casing, you should make sure to soak the casing in warm water first.
• once the casing have been rehydrated and become flexible, you should rinse them three or four times to ensure you remove as much of the unwanted salt as possible.
• You can do this by putting one end of the casing on the faucet, letting the warm water run through the inside and flushing out the salt.
• The casings can then be cut it into 4 foot lengths to prepare them to be stuffed with the mixture of beef, pork and a variety of spices.
• To properly cook the kielbasa and add that delicious smoky flavor, your smoker must maintain a temperature of 165 degrees until the kielbasa's internal temperature gets to 155 degrees.
• It must also contain the right wood chips to impart the smoky flavor many people love in their kielbasa.
• The smoky flavor acts like a seasoning and there's no substitute for it.
• For people with charcoal or wood smokers, all it takes to create flavorful smoke is to add some cherry wood or apple wood chunks to the fire.
• The key to creating the most flavorful kielbasa sausage is a consistently low temperature.
• Smoking the kielbasa at between 160-165F is ideal.
• Once the temperature in the smoker has reached 165 degrees, put in the sausages and leave them for three to four hours.
• That gives the internal temperature of the sausages to reach 152 degrees and the smoky flavors to permeate the kielbasa.

KIELBASA WITH MUSTARD DIP

Steps:

• Slice the kielbasa crosswise 1/2 inch thick diagonally. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) sauté pan, add the kielbasa, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the kielbasa is nicely browned on both sides.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve the kielbasa hot from the pan with small wooden skewers and a dish of the mustard sauce on the side for dipping.