How to Make Homemade Fresh Polish Kielbasa Sausage

I am a big fan of making my own sausage.

I always say that if you can make meatloaf or meatballs then you’ve pretty much mastered the skills needed to make a fresh sausage, and since your own homemade sausage will…

• Be spiced and seasoned to your liking
• Not contain additives that you don’t want
• Be made of good quality fresh meat
• Cost much less than store-bought

…there’s really no good reason why you shouldn’t whip up a batch of sausages the next time you feel the need for a good kielbasa or Italian link!

Here’s a very simple recipe for a 5 lb batch of Polish kielbasa sausage- which is enough for 2 or 3 good dinners – so make a up a batch, use what you need and pop the rest into the freezer for a great meal at the ready some busy weeknight down the road.

Polish Kielbasa Sausage

• 5 lbs of regular grind ground pork (you want about 20% fat here) If your butcher will grind for you, have her grind from the pork butt section, though I usually just make it with regular pre-ground pork and it works just fine
• 2 Tbls and 1 tsp of salt
• 2 tsps of sugar
• 1tsp marjoram
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
• 1 cup of very cold water
• Natural sausage casings, rinsed (I am hesitant to give you an exact measurement here, as mine always seem to need differing amounts. Nevertheless, salted sausage casings are generally sold in bundles that are large enough to make far more than this small recipe, so I just take out a strand as I need it, rinse it very well, inside and out, two times, and then stuff it as I go. I’ve bought mine at farmer’s markets and at a local Italian grocery store, though a good butcher should also sell them, or at least know where to get them.)

1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the sausage casings in a mixing bowl). Take out a small amount and fry it up to taste for seasoning, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2. I don’t have a sausage stuffer device – so I generally just use a funnel with a thick tube on the end (or a homemade funnel made from a plastic water bottle cut short) and press the meat into the casings with a wooden spoon through the funnel.
3. Once you’ve filled a casing, well, tie the end off and then twist the meat into links.

That’s it! fresh kielbasa sausage ready for the grill or frypan!