Polish Sausage (Kielbasa)
- 1h 0mPrep Time
- 3h Cook Time
- 6h Ready In
Homemade Polish sausage made from pork shoulder, belly, and fat, seasoned with garlic and marjoram, then smoked over hickory. Makes 4 links.
Ingredients
- 6 hog casing soaked in warm water for 1 hour
- 8 oz pork shoulder
- 4 oz pork belly
- 4 oz pork fat
- 1 1/2 tsp curing salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp marjoram finely chopped
- Hickory wood chips
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 6 of 9 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 98.3 mg
- Iron: 4.04 mg
- Magnesium: 27.7 mg
- Phosphorus: 166 mg
- Potassium: 333 mg
- Zinc: 2.13 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 8 oz pork shoulder
- 4 oz pork belly
- 4 oz pork fat
- 1 1/2 tsp curing salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Hickory wood chips
Prepare
- 6 hog casing, soaked in warm water for 1 hour
- 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp marjoram, finely chopped
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Soak 6 feet of hog casing in warm water for 1 hour. Meanwhile, chop the pork shoulder, pork belly, and pork fat into 1-inch chunks.
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Step 2.
Process the chopped meat through a sausage maker fitted with the large grinder attachment, following the manufacturer's instructions.
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Step 3.
In a large bowl, gently mix the ground meat with 1½ teaspoons curing salt, ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped marjoram until evenly distributed. Take care not to mash or tear apart the chunks of meat and fat.
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Step 4.
Attach the wet casing to the tubing attachment of the sausage maker. Tie a knot in the end of the casing and poke a small hole at the end to release air.
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Step 5.
Feed the meat mixture through the sausage maker into the casing, following the manufacturer's instructions, letting it create a coil. Leave a foot of unfilled casing before cutting it from the machine.
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Step 6.
Smooth and shape the mixture in the casing so that the diameter is even throughout the coil. Every 6 inches, twist the coil several times to create links. When the entire coil has been shaped and linked, knot the end and cut off the excess unfilled casing.
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Step 7.
Prepare a smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Smoke the sausages over hickory wood chips at 170°F for 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
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Step 8.
Remove the sausages from the smoker and place them in a bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking. Once cool enough to handle, hang the sausages on a rack to air-dry in a dry and cool indoor environment for 2 to 3 hours, to cool completely and bloom.
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Step 9.
Wrap the sausages together in parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before serving, heat the sausages using one of the cooking methods.