Fresh Kielbasa

Makes 5 pounds

Everyone in Eastern Europe seems to have a variation on this sausage.
Poland is most famous for their version, but I think this Lithuanian
recipe from Bill Daileda of Saint Casmir's will keep all of Eastern
Europe happy. It is the best that I have come across.

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons salt
½ tablespoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon MSG (optional)

1 pound beef chuck, cut into large pieces
4 pounds pork butt, cut into large pieces
1 ¼ pounds fresh pork fatback cut into large pieces

1/2 cup cold water
Sausage casings, about 14 feet, 1 inch in diameter

Mix all the spices in a small jar. Shake well to mix them.

Grind the meats and the fatback coarsely in a meat grinder or food
processor. Place the mixture in a bowl. Add the seasonings and mix
thoroughly through the meat. Mix in the cold water, which will make
the meat easier to stuff.

Stuff the mixture into casings

From: Frugal Gourmet "On Our Immigrant Ancestors"



Smoked Kielbasa

This is Bill Daileda's version of smoked sausage, and it is a bit
closer to what most Americans know as Polish sausage. It is Lithuanian
in origin, however, and not as fatty as that stuff you get from the
supermarket.

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3/4 tablespoon curing salt(made by Morton's and available in specialty
shops or supermarkets)
1 /2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 pounds pork butt, coarsely ground
1 pound beef, coarsely ground


To prepare, follow the directions for the fresh kielbasa, but then tie
the stuffed casings into rings and smoke them.



Romanian Sausages
Mititei
Makes 12 sausages

Pearl Mailath, a Romanian friend in Indiana, invited us into her home
for a real Romanian meal. This was before Romania erupted into what we
hope will be independence. As she cooked these delicious sausages, we
talked politics. I think the discussion made the sausages taste even
better. These are great cooked on the outdoor grill.

Ingredients:
4 5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, whole
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup Beef Stock or use canned

2/3 pound coarsely ground pork
1 pound ground chuck

Crush the garlic well in the water, using a fork. Stir in the meat,
baking soda, seasonings, and garlic puree together. Add Beef Stock and
mix well.

For each sausage, take 1/3 cup of the meat mixture, and roll between
the palms of your hands into a sausage shape about 4 inches long.
Place sausages side by side in a container and cover. Refrigerate
overnight so the flavors can blend.

These are excellent on the grill. They may also be broiled or baked in
the oven.

Broil the sausages about 3 minutes per side until cooked through and
browned.

HINT: WHEN HAND ROLLING SAUSAGES or meatballs of any kind, keep a
small bowl of water near you so that you can keep your hands a bit
wet. This way, the meat will not stick to your hands.

From: The Frugal Gourmet "Our Immigrant Ancestors"

Italian Sausage with Lemon

Makes a little over 2 pounds

Lemon is just great with pork, and this sausage with lemon is
delightful. It is not heavy but rather very refreshing.

2 pounds pork butt, coarsely ground
1/4 pound pork fat, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon freshly ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon peel

Mix all the ingredients together.

Let stand for 1 hour and mix again. Stuff into casings.



Italian Sausage, Sicilian Style

Makes 2 pounds

This will be better than any sausage you can find in a market, except
perhaps Fretta Brothers in New Jersey and Esposito's in Philadelphia.
Well, there are some fine companies in Seattle also, Fresh made
sausage, homemade, is a forgotten thing in our culture and I think
that is a shame.

2 pounds lean pork butt, coarsely ground
1/4 pound pork fat, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon coarsely ground fennel seed
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons dry white wine

Mix all the ingredients together. Let stand one hour.

Mix again and stuff into casings.

Another variation is to omit the parsley and white wine, but add 1/2
cup of red wine.


Source: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian



Italian Sausage With Parsley And Cheese

Makes a little over 2 pounds

This is a bit lighter than the sausages with red pepper flakes and I
think this is a perfect sausage for a nice dinner with friends.

2 pounds pork butt, coarsely ground
1/4 pound pork fat, coarsely ground
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Put all the ingredients together, and mix them well. Let rest an hour
and mix again. Stuff into casings.

Source: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian


Italian Cheese and Red Wine Sausage

You will enjoy this variation on the plain Italian pork sausage. The
addition of cheese and wine raises this sausage to dinner table
conversation.

Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless pork, shoulder or butt
1 tablespoon coarse ground fennel seed
2 bay leaves, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3/4 Cup dry red wine
4 yards sausage casings
Olive oil for cooking

Grind the meat using the coarse blade.

Mix all ingredients together and allow the mixture to sit for 1 hour
before stuffing into casings.

To cook, place in a frying pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and just
enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook until the
water evaporates. Then, continue to brown, turning once.

Use throughout the book where Italian sausages are called for.

Makes 4 pounds.

Source: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine

Homemade Pork Sausage
Ingredients:

One 5 pound Boston butt or meat scraps when you butcher hogs
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups finely chopped onion
Salt to taste
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon dried mint or other seasonings to taste


Using a meat grinder, finely grind together the meat and the fat into
a large bowl.

Mix in the onions, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper, mint, and any
other seasonings you would like to use. Using the mixing spoons Mother
Nature gave you, your hands, mix all the ingredients together.

I usually fry a patty to test for seasonings and because by that time
I'm hungry. Then pass the mixture through the meat grinder again to
mix very well.

You can freeze this in patties with waxed paper in between or stuff
into casings.

Source: Justin Wilson's "Homegrown Louisiana Cookin'"


Boudin
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound pork liver, rinsed in cool water
2 quarts water
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
41/4 teaspoons salt
21/2 teaspoons cayenne
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green onions, green parts only
6 cups cooked medium grain white rice

A popular sausage made with bits of pork, fluffy white rice, and
seasonings is the breakfast choice in Acadiana. Wrapped in a paper
napkin or tucked into a slice of bread and washed down with a cup of
dark coffee, it carries you through the morning.

It's not necessary to stuff the sausage into casings. You can plunk a
heaping spoonful of the mixture on a thick slice of Home Style French
Bread (page 286) or any bread for that matter, not just for breakfast,
but any time. I like to drizzle some Steen's 100 % Pure Cane Syrup on
it too. The mark of a good boudin is lots of chopped parsley and green
onions.

1. Put the pork, liver, water, onions, bell peppers, celery, 1
teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon of
the black pepper in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 11/2 hours, or until the pork and
liver are tender. Remove from the heat and drain, reserving 11/2 cups
of the broth.

2. Grind the pork and liver together with 1/2 cup of the parsley and
1/2 cup of the green onions in a meat grinder fitted with a 1/4 inch
die. Or, put the pork and liver together with 1/2 cup of the parsley
and 1/4 CUP of the green onions in a food processor fitted with a
metal blade and pulse several times to coarsely grind the mixture. It
should not be pureed into a paste.

3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the rice, the remaining salt,
cayenne, black pepper, parsley, and green onion and mix well. Add the
broth, 1/2 cup at a time and mix thoroughly

4. Either stuff the mixture into prepared 1 1/2 inch diameter casings
and make 3 inch links.

5. Serve warm. The sausage can be reheated in a 325° oven.


Andouille Sausage


Andouille, Louisiana's famous sausage, is used in gumbos, jambalayas,
and dressings. It gives pizzazz to any dish. Andouille is a smoked
sausage; if you don't have a smoker, use a kettle grill. I use both
garlic powder and fresh garlic to intensify the flavor.

1 boneless pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 5 pounds)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Rustic Rub
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/4 cup paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons file powder
1/4 cup chopped garlic

1. Put the pork and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl,
tossing to coat the meat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24
hours.

2. Remove from the refrigerator and put the mixture through a meat
grinder using a 1/2 inch die. Or, coarsely grind the meat in a food
processor fitted with the metal blade.

3. Stuff the mixture into the prepared 11/2 inch diameter casings,
each piece about 10 inches long. It can be frozen indefinitely.

About 5 pounds

Source: Emeril Lagasse "Louisiana Real & Rustic"



Fred's Andouille Sausage

Ingredients:
1 1/2 yds large sausage casing (about 2-3; wide)
4 pounds lean fresh pork
2 pounds pork fat
3 1/3 tablespoons garlic cloves - finely minced
2 tablespoons salt - NOT iodized
1 tablespoon black pepper - freshly ground
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon thyme - minced
1 tablespoon marjoram - minced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon bay leaf - ground
1/4 teaspoon sage
5 teaspoons liquid hickory smoke

Andouille was a great favorite in nineteenth-century New Orleans. This
thick Cajun sausage is made with lean pork and pork fat and lots of
garlic. Sliced about 1/2 inch thick and grilled, it makes a delightful
appetizer. It is also used in a superb oyster and Andouille gumbo
popular in Laplace, a Cajun town about 30 miles from New Orleans that
calls itself the Andouille Capital of the World.

Cut the meat and fat into chunks about 1/2 inch across and pass once
through the coarse blade of the meat grinder. Combine the pork with
the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden
spoon.

Cut the casings into 26 inch lengths and stuff as follows: Tie a knot
in each piece of casing about 2 inches from one end. Fit the open end
over the tip of the sausage stuffer and slide it to about 1 inch from
the wide end. Push the rest of the casing onto the stuffer until the
top touches the knot

Age at least overnight, then smoke for several hours using pecan,
hickory or ash. Throw anything sweet, such as cane sugar or syrup, raw
sugar, molasses, sugar cane or brown sugar on the wood before
lighting.

To cook, slice the Andouille 1/2 inch thick and grill in a hot
skillet with no water for about 12 minutes on each side, until brown
and crisp at the edges.

Yieldabout 6 pounds of 20 inch sausage, 3 to 3 1/2 inches thick)

Source: Cajun Fred