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Sunday, January 16, 2011

KIELBASA/POLISH SAUSAGE--HOW TO COOK FRESH AND SMOKED PLUS MATTHEW'S SECRET SAUCE

Broiled smoked Kielbasa with cheesy potatoes, green beans and sauerkraut.  Enjoy!!

MATTHEW'S SECRET SAUCE--ENJOY!!!!!!

It looks like next weekend the Chicago Bears will be playing the Green Bay Packers.  Since Chicago has more Polish people than any other city except Warsaw, Kielbasa is a great food to serve at a football watching party.


Fresh Kielbasa, enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The word Kielbasa means sausage in Polish.  In this country, Kielbasa is a name for a smoked garlic sausage.  On the West Side of Grand Rapids and in other areas of Western Michigan, Kielbasa is available both fresh and smoked.


Fresh Kielbasa has not been cooked or smoked.  It is raw meat.


Smoked Kielbasa is the ring on the left.  It has been cooked and can be eaten just like it is.  To the right is the fresh Kielbasa. 


To be sure I knew the correct way of cooking Kielbasa we headed to 20th Century Market on Bridge St. in Grand Rapids.  They have been making authentic Polish, German and other sausages since 1907.  The clerk told us that fresh Kielbasa has to be simmered at least 45 minutes to make it tender.  Then, she said, some people put it under the broiler to brown it.  I think my Mom and Grandma's way to cook Kielbasa is easier but still retains the basic Polish method for cooking the sausage.


My Grandma shopped here in the early 20th Century.


Display case showing some of the sausages that 20th Century market makes.

TO COOK FRESH KIELBASA

Take the fresh Kielbasa and


put it into a large frying pan.


Cover the sausage with cold water.


Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat.


Simmer until all the water is gone.  I like to turn it over with tongs at least once while it is simmering. Takes between 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of your pan. 


When the water is gone, leave the sausage in the pan and let it brown on one side.


Turn it over with tongs and brown the other side.


Ready to eat.


Beautiful.


We served it with sauerkraut and German potato salad.  Some green beans would add nice color to the plate. 


So delicious!!  Enjoy!!!

COOKING SMOKED KIELBASA

Smoked Kielbasa can be sliced cold and served with cheese and crackers.

It can be grilled.  Grilled outside, it is wonderful but our grill has about 10-inches of snow on it.

Smoked Kielbasa just has to be heated.  It can be steamed.


Broiling is good.  This is how I do it in the winter.


We like it with the casing a little burned.


Broiled smoked Kielbasa ready to serve.  


20th Century Market's sausages use coarse ground meat which I think is the best.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!!

MATTHEW'S SECRET SAUCE
Matthew came up with this sauce when he was a young teenager.  It shows that the whole is better than the parts.

Ingredients:  Ketchup, yellow mustard and prepared horseradish.

This sauce can be made with the amounts you like.  If you like mustard, add lots of mustard.

Like it hot?  Use more horseradish.

Want it heavy on a ketchup flavor?  Add lots of ketchup.

Stir and let the flavors meld.  The sauce tastes fantastic and much better than just using a smear of ketchup, a dab of mustard and a little horseradish. 

Serve with any kind of sausage and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!












35 comments:

  1. My mouth is watering!

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    1. Thank you so much for printing these instructions with pictures. My husband is Polish and my Mother in Law taught me to cook many Polish dishes before she died. This was one dish she did not do but one we wanted to try.It was delicious!

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    2. I am so happy you found my site and then found a recipe you wanted. I would love to hear from you about your Mother-in-laws Polish recipes. There is a recipe for Kapusta on this site which is served with the sausage especially on holidays. I enjoy hearing from you, thank you.

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    3. Just found you this morning and needed you desperately. Thanks so much!!!!!!!

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    4. I am so happy I could help you. Thank you for letting me know that I helped you. I hope you find other recipes you can use on Michigan Cottage Cook.

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    5. Here I am, Easter afternoon, looking for a way to prepare polish sausage for later - googled and up you popped! Thank you much. I already put your site on my saved blogs. So sorry your special kitchen helper is not there.

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  2. Summer is a great time for Kielbasa. Serve it in a bun; sit back and enjoy!!!

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    1. Thank You for the fresh kielbasa recipe. Came from Polish family but never learned how to cook it. You posted in an earlier post that there was a recipe for Kapusta but I was unable to find it. Could you post it or send it to me as an Email? Thank You, Gerry
      velvetandpepsi_man@yahoo.com

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  3. Visited Grand Rapids (from Chicago) this summer for an annual family reunion. Had the best fresh polish of my life, from one of the local polish delis. Slow simmered and then grilled; it was just fantastic.

    Jerome

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  4. From the sausage I have had in Chicago I, too, think Grand Rapids has the best. Glad you had the chance to enjoy it.

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  5. Thanks for the instructions! Sorry to hear about your husband. His photos were helpful, since I had never cooked FRESH kielbasa before and didn't know how to do it.

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  6. It's the Saturday before Easter, 2012 and I found your post on cooking fresh kobasi, which I am making for the first time! This was soooo helpful. Thank you. P.S. You don't look like an "old" lady.

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  7. Today I cooked my first fresh kielbasa from the local Polish market, with galumpke and pierogi and an allover feast--thanks for your instructions, it went beautifully!

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  8. Please accept my condolences on your loss. Many thanks for this information and the photos. We are doing a "Polish Thanksgiving " tomorrow with my husband's family from Canada and this was very helpful. We have both fresh and smoked sausage, with the holiday seasoning. We have both lazy pierogi and the "real" ones - potato, cheese and saurkraut. The golabki will arrive from across the border - Jerry's sister has perfected a recipe that is divine. Many thanks for the information to help us prepare our feast!

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  9. I WAS IN MAINE FOR THANKSGIVING AND WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY COMPUTER THERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONDOLENCES AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS!! I AM SO GLAD MY POST HELPED YOU.

    WOULD JERRY'S SISTER SEND ME HER RECIPE FOR GOLABKI!!! SOUND DIVINE TO ME TOO. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO JOIN YOU AT YOUR FEAST.

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  10. If anyone is ever in the Philadelphia, Pa area, I recommend trying kielbasa from Lachowicz Polish Market in 19137. Or, just about a mile away there is a place called Swiacki's. Both are the best I have ever had!!!

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  11. It sound like I need to get to Philadelphia and try some kielbasa!!! Our Grand Rapids market are better than anything I found in Chicago and Chicago has an enormous Polish population. Thank you so much for your comment.

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  12. You are welcome....

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  13. I was looking for a recipe for the fresh...my friends mom makes it and gave me a bunch. Yay can't wait!!

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  14. Thanks so much for posting this. Tomorrow is Easter so, a wave of nostalgia came over me along with a desire for fresh kielbasa like we used to have on Easter and Thanksgiving at my Russian grandmother's house so many years ago. The Polish market in Boston where she and my aunt used to buy Kielbasa is still in business! So, now my kielbasa from there is waiting for me in my fridge. I knew the basic method of cooking was to simmer in big skillet with some water then brown the outside when the water boiled away. But how long to cook was something lost to my distant memory. Thanks again for all the info.

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  15. Thank you so much for the lovely comment. I am planning more posts on traditional Polish cooking from the Westside of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Try this Kapusta with your sausage.
    http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2012/12/chars-lithuanian-kapusta-saving.html

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  16. Thank you so much for sharing your method of cooking fresh kielbasa. I picked up a ring on Good Friday when I was seized by a fit of nostalgia for my mom's "traditional" Easter breakfast of kielbasa, hard-cooked eggs, pumpernickel-rye toast, and horseradish with beets. I wasn't sure how to cook the kielbasa and was to embarrassed to call my mom :)

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  17. So glad I found your blog. As a native Michigander myself, I knew I could trust your advice. Am also an MSU alum. Nice win against Northwestern today! Go Green!

    Many Thanks.

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  18. There are several places to get Kielbasa in the Milwaukee area. I suggest A&J Polish Deli on 12th and Lincoln, it is the BEST.
    I make my fresh Polish exactly the same as you. The only reason I searched for this site, was to try and find a different way. Once I read how you do it, including the horseradish sauce I make, I realized no sense in looking any further, I already had the best way to cook this wonderful sausage. Our Grandmothers must be related, ha-ha.

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  19. I'm so glad I found your site, it's making me nostalgic!

    I grew up outside of Flint and have fond memories of the spicy Polish sausage we'd get from the local butcher - usually on a holiday or special occasion. Having long since moved out of the area, I find that it's not too easy to find good Polish sausage in other parts of the country. I found one at the grocery store that I'm going to make tonight for Christmas Eve. Can't wait to taste that crunchy burned goodness (even though it's not going to be from a bonafide Polish butcher!)

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  20. I am cooking the fresh kielbasa now-thanks!

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  21. I am PA Dutch and if you ain't Dutch you ain't much!!
    I loved the photos and instructions, very helpful indeed!! It helped to show the difference of fresh and smoked. I like to eat the smoked as is with beet horse sauce. My new Pittsburgh family thinks it should be cooked like fresh kielbasa. this site helped settle the debate! Happy Easter!!

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  22. Thank You.....all this information was very helpful !

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  23. I love your blog site, the recipes, techniques, and photos. I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband Tom.

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  24. Well, I have got the best information from here the site is fully stuffed with the knowledgeable information. visit

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  25. Just purchased my first Polish sausage I am going to give your recipe a try I have only had the precooked in the package I will let you know the outcome

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  26. Been cooking sausages for years here in the southeast Michigan area. I spent 6 yrs. in Germany and had a chance to try a few kinds. My fave is still the fresh kielbasa. I cook it the save as mentioned above but after the water evaporates I add butter. Happy holidays all.

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  27. Brought back memories!And here I thought my Dad was the only one who mixed ketchup, mustard and horseradish!

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