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Homemade Kielbasa Recipe

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4.7 from 82 reviews

This Homemade Kielbasa recipe guides you step-by-step to create traditional Polish sausage using a blend of cubed pork, ground pork, and ground beef, seasoned with garlic, pepper, salt, and a special meat cure. The mixture is blended, stuffed into casings, cured overnight, and then oven-baked to perfection, resulting in flavorful, juicy kielbasa ready to slice and serve.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat

  • 2 lbs. cubed pork, ½” cubes
  • 1.5 lbs. ground pork
  • 1.5 lbs. ground beef

Seasonings & Curing

  • 0.2 oz. garlic
  • 1.25 oz. salt
  • 0.25 oz. Morton’s Tender Quick Meat Cure
  • 0.15 oz. pepper
  • 1 drop liquid smoke (optional)

Other

  • Water (as needed for blending and mixing)

Instructions

  1. Puree the garlic: Use a blender to puree the garlic with 2 tablespoons of water. Set this mixture aside for a moment.
  2. Dissolve cure and salt: In a small bowl, measure 2 tablespoons of water and dissolve the salt and Morton’s Tender Quick Meat Cure in the water.
  3. Combine seasoning mixture: Add the salt and cure mixture to the garlic puree. Then add the pepper and liquid smoke (if using) to this liquid seasoning blend and mix well.
  4. Mix meats: Place all the cubed pork, ground pork, and ground beef into a large mixing bowl and mix several times with your hands to combine.
  5. Add seasoning blend to meat: Pour the garlic-pepper-salt-cure-water mixture over the combined meats and begin mixing thoroughly by hand.
  6. Incorporate water for stickiness: Continue mixing by hand, gradually adding water one teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is sticky and adheres to your hands. To test, squeeze a handful of meat, open your palm, invert your hand, and the meat should not fall off.
  7. Stuff the sausage: Transfer the meat mixture into a sausage stuffer and stuff into natural or synthetic casings according to the equipment instructions. Alternatively, shape into cylindrical meat tubes about 1½ inches in diameter and 12 inches long if you don’t have specialized equipment.
  8. Cure the sausage: Refrigerate the sausages in a single layer (in casings or wrapped in plastic and foil) for 24 hours, allowing the cure to penetrate and the sausage shape to set.
  9. Preheat oven: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking.
  10. Prepare for baking: Remove foil and plastic wrap from sausages if used instead of casings. Arrange the sausage cylinders or stuffed casings on an oven-safe rack placed over a baking sheet.
  11. Bake the sausage: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) when checked with an instant-read thermometer.
  12. Cool the sausages: Remove the kielbasa from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
  13. Slice and serve: Once cooled, slice the kielbasa to your preferred thickness and enjoy as desired.

Notes

  • If you do not have sausage casings or a stuffer, forming the meat into tubes by hand and wrapping tightly with plastic wrap and foil is an effective alternative.
  • Liquid smoke is optional but adds a traditional smoky flavor typical in kielbasa.
  • Ensure the internal temperature reaches 160°F to guarantee the sausage is safely cooked.
  • The curing time of 24 hours is essential for flavor development and texture setting.
  • Use an instant-read thermometer for accurate temperature monitoring.

Keywords: kielbasa, Polish sausage, homemade sausage, meat cure, baking sausage, pork sausage

Find it online: https://spiceupwithsophie.com/homemade-kielbasa-recipe/