Polish Kielbasa

This recipe is an Easter, Christmas, and New Year's treat that we've made for a lot of years. It's great served with lots of HOT horseradish and brown mustard.



5 lbs, lean boneless pork shoulder or butt
3 tsp. salt
6 cloves garlic, crushed and very finely chopped
2 TBS. mustard seed
2 TBS Crushed Peppercorns
1 TBS ground Marjoram
1 TBS flaked marjoram
1 Cup of crushed ice
3-4 feet of well-rinsed hog casings- inside and outside

Cut the meat into small chunks (1/2” to ¾”) removing all gristle, bone, skin and any silver membrane. It will be much easier to trim if the pork is partially frozen. Add seasonings and mix well; refrigerate overnight. Next day, grind the meat mixed with the seasonings into the casings. Use a 5/16" or 1/4" cutting blade. Smoke in your outside smokerin apple wood chips following the manufacturer’s directions, or you can place the sausage in a casserole, cover it with water. Bake at 350 degrees F. until water is absorbed, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you choose not to smoke the sausage, just grind into casings, coil, vacuum seal, and freeze until ready to cook.

When making sausage by hand, tie a knot about 3 inches from one end of a cleaned and well rinsed – outside and inside – sausage casing. Fix the open end over the spout of a wide based funnel, easing most of the casing up onto the spout then knot. Spoon the mixture into the funnel and push it through into the casing with your fingers or a dowel if you don’t have a grinder, or grind it directly into the casing if you do have a grinder. Knot the end and roll the sausage gently on a firm surface to distribute the filling evenly.

To cook, place stuffed casing into cold water and slowly bring to a boil. Simmer for 1-hour. We like it boiled and served with brown mustard and fresh horseradish served with Slavic sweet bread, and a veggie tray with dips.