More KIELBASA & stuff...

[Kevin A]

I decided to make another batch of kielbasa using a slightly different version from ones I've done in the past. This recipe uses the same traditional spices (salt, sugar, pepper, garlic & marjoram), but the process is a bit different.

The usual list for kielbasa:


Starts with cubed lean ground beef and lean pork (40/60 ratio, beef to pork). The cure is added as well the salt and sugar. This gets sealed in an air-tight container for three days in the fridge. I also took some good pork fat (20% of total weight) and applied the same ingredients and process.

Three days later, we're ready to make sausage:


Since I'm using two different meats in this sausage, a binder (actually 2) are used here: NFDM & SPC:


Unlike the finer grinds I've used in other kielbasas, this version calls for a coarse grind. Using a 7mm plate here; after the lean, comes the fat...


Poured all the ingredients (spices & binders) into 8oz of cold water and hand-mixed into the meat until a sticky meat paste was formed. I still had some 38-42mm natural casings on hand, so I used those. For this six-pound batch, my son & I used the stuffer attachment on my grinder. Made quick work of it....


To clear the balance of the meat still in the stuffer, I fed 2 slices of bread into the grinder. This cleared the auger and plate of any leftover meat. With these last 'bits' of meat, I made some polish meatballs—"Klopsiki"...very tasty!


Into the refrigerator overnight. Tomorrow they go to the smoker...


...where they'll be joined by a boat-load of brined pork loin (now hang-drying) which I've had in brine for 7 days.
Soon to become Canadian Bacon. :D


More to come....

Kevin

[NePaSmoKer]

Mighty fine Kevin

[SiFumar]

Looks good!  I like the idea of the bread to clean the meat out and making meatballs.  I usually just fry it for the dog.

[Sam3]

Another fantastic project by Kevin. Keeping an eye on this one!

[Mr Walleye]

Great Job as always Kevin.

Your pictures are always fantastic.  ;)

Mike

[Keymaster]

Looks Excellent, Nice  job Kevin!!!

[ghost9mm]

As always Kevin, we enjoy the presentation, and everything is well documented with photos..

[Kevin A]

I loaded all the kielbasa & pork loin into my masterbuilt and set the temp to approx 110-120° and let them hang dry for about an hour or so. Then I applied hickory smoke for the next 3-4 hours—pretty heavy at times.

After one hour of smoke:


I raised the temp gradually to approx 140-150° but kept light smoke going. I knew the pork loin was gong to take much longer than the kielbasa.
After 3 hours of smoke. Picking up that good 'red' hickory color:


I pulled the kielbasa after 4-5 hours and plunged them into a hot (165°) water bath . The IT of the kielbasa going in was 132° so in about 25 minutes, the kielbasa were ready to pull.

Dry & bloom after a quick cool down in icewater:


The canadian bacon took quite a bit longer (about 4 more hours). Then I pulled them at 154° & showered them in cold water to cool, then hang dry:


I'm going to wrap the bacon & let them rest in the fridge a few days before slicing, letting the flavors 'mellow' a bit and get them well-chilled.
I've a new 'toy' coming later this week that'll come in handy for the slicing job:


The cook HAD to sample some before I wrap these up:


The kielbasa turned out pretty darned good. My wife (who is Polish) said my father-in-law would be quite pleased with the results. Since he's always been my 'gold-standard' for kielbasa, I'm happy with the way they came out.  :D


Kevin

[Sam3]

Excellent job Kevin! I see that new toy getting some good use!  ;D

[SouthernSmoked]

AWESOME!!!! Great job once again Kevin!

[Kevin A]

Here's a follow-up after several days of trying the stuff I made last weekend:

The Kielbasa: Over I'm very pleased wit the way these came out. Nice, pleasant flavor, but not as garlicky as my previous batches. In all my other kielbasa, I used fresh or freshly-cooked garlic; this recipe called for garlic powder. I think I'll stick with the fresh stuff from now on. My wife does like the mustard seeds called for in this recipe; I'll keep adding those to future batches.
These links were smoked a long time (4+hours) with heavy smoke at times. In the future, if I do long smokes I'll use a 'milder' wood in place of hickory. Maybe oak or cherry/apple combo. The hickory gives the final product a vibrantly rich red mahogany color to the sausage, but also has a very prominent 'smokey' flavor profile.
Hickory wood adds a great color, but also a very strong flavor...


Re: My canadian bacon
After letting it rest for a few days, i began slicing & sampling the bacon. Much to my dismay, I found it to be overly SALTY with just a hint of sweetness. In hindsight (20/20 of course), I should have soaked the load in batches of fresh water more thoroughly and for an extended period following the brining process. What I did was flush them once & rinse them well—obviously not enough to counter the saltiness present.
So what to do with over 14lbs of smoked 'salt pork'? When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. With smoked salt pork, you make BEANS! Or split pea soup. Or cooked greens with bacon. Plenty of uses. Heck, you CAN eat this fried for breakfast or on a muffin, but you definitely need to sweeten it up with syrup to offset the salty bite. Baked beans with this bacon would be great. So all is not lost.
Chalk it up to experience. Nice time I'll know better.

Kevin

Beautiful bacon...no additional salt needed! ;)

[pikeman_95]

Kevin
Looks great. Though with you boys I can't see that small batch lasting much longer then the taste testing process.
Would mind posting the recipe for the Kielbasa. I would agree the fresh garlic would be best. I would like to make some gook kielbasa as it sure sounds good cooked up with some eggs for breakfast.

Kirby

[sparky1]

holy sausage.  that is wonderful.  the sausage and the cand bacon it great.  nice job. 

[Kevin A]

Would mind posting the recipe for the Kielbasa. I would agree the fresh garlic would be best. I would like to make some gook kielbasa as it sure sounds good cooked up with some eggs for breakfast.
Kirby

Here ya go, Kirby.
Feel free to use FRESH garlic in place of the powder in this recipe:

Here's the KIELBASA recipe I used.

3 lbs. LEAN Pork shoulder
2 lbs. LEAN Beef Chuck
1.25lbs  Pork Fat 
Salt  (36.0 g) 
Sugar (31.0 g)
Mustard seed (15.0 g)
1.25 tsp.  Cure #1 
Pepper, white (6.0 g)
Garlic powder  (6.0 g)
Marjoram dry  (3.5 g)
Nonfat Dry Milk (65 g)
Soy Protein Concentrate (40g)
Ice water (8 oz)
38 mm hog casings 

1. Cut the pork shoulder and beef into 1-inch cubes. Cube fat & keep seperate.
2. Mix the meat cubes with salt, cure and sugar. 
3. Pack the meat tightly into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 
4. Refrigerate at about 39°F for 3 days to allow the meat to cure.
5. Grind the welll-chilled meat through a medium plate. Grind the near-frozen fat through coarse plate
6. Combine SPC and NFDM with the ice water; mix well. Add to meat, the pork fat, and remaining dry ingredients; blend to uniform mix. Mix until the paste is very sticky.
7. Stuff into 38 mm hog casings; hang at room temperature until the casing are completely dry to the touch (or 30 minutes or so in a preheated 100° smoker)
8. Apply a light smoke for 30 minutes then raise the temperature to about 120°F and apply a heavy smoke for 90 minutes.   
9. Raise the temperature to 180°F and hold there until the sausage reaches 155°F or pull the sausages after the smoke & poach in water bath (165°) until 155° temp is reached.
10. Chill by immersing into ice water.
11. Hang dry. Refrigerate.

[pikeman_95]

Kevin
Thanks for the recipe it sure looks good. I am looking for time to get some made. I have been quite busy in the shop.

Kirby