# Kiełbasa Krakowska Wędzona (Smoked Krakow Sausage) & Good ol' Basic Kielbasa (with pics)



## couger78 (Jan 26, 2013)

I’m making two different Polish sausages— one is a basic *‘kielbasa’* I’ve made many times before with slight variations. The second is a new one for me. Many of you are familiar with it (and some have made it). It’s called, “*Kiełbasa Krakowska Wędzona* _(Smoked Krakow Sausage)_, a larger diameter meat sausage that is traditionally served sliced, cold-cut style. My wife’s Polish relatives (from near Krakow) rave on about this product, so I’m up for trying it. An aunt gave me a list of the ingredients and methods. I’m using the US cure#1 (not the Polish _Peklosól_ .6%), but other than that, I’ve tried to using the same ingredients. They (the Polish in-laws, that is) say the pork is ‘better’ tasting  in Poland (less water, more fat), so I’ll do my best using quality US pork…

*Three Days Ahead*….

I need a little over 6 pounds of very lean pork for this 11-pound recipe, which will be cut into .75” (19mm) cubes.

I have 10 pounds of a nice pork loin.













Pork_loin_lg_zpse5864de9.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






Cut into cubes and measured out…













Pork_piled_lg_zps7cfedea1.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






To these cubes, I’m adding a portion of the cure, kosher salt and sugar.













Pork_cubedampsalted_lg_zps44c241a0.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






Well-mixed and ready to ‘cure’ in the fridge for several days…













Pork_cubedamprubbed_lg_zps8839a684.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






*On to the Kielbasa*

I’m sticking with a pretty basic kielbasa recipe, with the ingredients pretty common to most recipes. Some leave out the sugar and marjoram and/or add mustard seeds. So long as there’s garlic, salt & pepper, it’ll make a good sausage…













Kielbasa_ingred_lg_zps41f0c7b7.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






The lean pork is coarse-ground (12mm plate used):













Kielbasa_coarseGrind_lg_zpscf3a3bf7.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






On the ‘fatty’ pork & fat, I used a finer plate (4.5mm):













Kielbasa_FatGrind_lg_zpsaa682e75.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






To this, I added the ingredients and about 1 cup of ice water. I mixed the dry ingredients into the water first to help improve distribution:













Kielbasa_spicesAdd_lg_zpsf75038d2.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






After a very thorough mixing (resulting in a sticky paste), I stuffed the meat mixture into 32-34mm pork casings. These will reside in the fridge until I’m finished with the OTHER sausage so I can smoke them together.













Kielbasa_Stuffed_lg_zpsac622b34.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






*Now, the Krakowska…*

So now that the pork loin cubes have been curing for a few days, I’m ready to start the process. First the ingredients: very similar list to a garlic bologna, with the addition of marjoram…













Krakow_ingred_lg_zpsaa457fb2.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






First grind: Some lean beef (3mm plate)













Krakow_BeefGrind_lg_zps3559c621.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






Next up: grinding fatty pork…













Krakow_FattyPorkGrind_lg_zps046d4acc.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






I mixed these two meats together after the initial grind, and then fed it through twice more using the fine plate. The result is a very silky-smooth, uniform paste that mimics the emulsifying effect of using a processor:













Krakow_2ndFineGrind_lg_zpsc9cca44e.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






To this smooth paste, I added the ‘curing’ cubes…













Krakow_AllMeats_lg_zpse1ddd30a.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






…and the spices.













Krakow_IngredAdded_lg_zpsdf97ca9a.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






A thorough mixing creates a desirable sticky meat mass…













Krakow_Mixed_lg_zpsd66c2779.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






*Next up:*

Stuffing the casings & into the smoker.

More to come…

Kevin


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## smoking b (Jan 26, 2013)

Looks great so far man!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






    Count me in


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## kathrynn (Jan 26, 2013)

oh yall are going to get me in trouble!  I love the sausages everyone is doing!  Thank you for the detail in this thread!


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## jrod62 (Jan 26, 2013)

Looks good !
I did some Kielbasa and brats today, going  in the smoker tomorrow


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## gotarace (Jan 26, 2013)

Count me in Kevin...Great Q-view so far...


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## daveomak (Jan 27, 2013)

..... 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  .......   The texture will be interesting....   I am waiting to see it sliced....    Dave


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## shannon127 (Jan 27, 2013)

Looks pretty good Kevin.  I never seen Krakowska with beef before.  I am very interested in the result.  I make at least 2 Krakowska every other week. Maybe we can swap recipes?


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## boykjo (Jan 27, 2013)

Looks great K...........Thumbs Up


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 27, 2013)

You have learned well Grasshopper.

Now take the next step into sausage making.

Looks good Kevin


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 27, 2013)

That is lookin' great Kevin! I too am interested in the Recipes...I hope they are not a Family Secret!...JJ


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## doctord1955 (Jan 27, 2013)

Me to !


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## roller (Jan 27, 2013)

Nice start !


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## driedstick (Jan 27, 2013)

Very Nice Kev I am with Dave O. on this one  cant wait till a sliced pic - making me hungry


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## couger78 (Jan 27, 2013)

*Onward to stuffing & smoking*:

Nice Sunday morning outside so I set up my Kirby cannon and loaded it up with 11 pounds of the Krakowska meat mixture:













Krakow_loaded_lg_zpsc563ba22.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






To accommodate the large chunks of meat in the mixture, I used the largest stuffing tube I have— the* 41mm howitzer*. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	

















Krakow_41mmtube_lg_zpsd4a6bb87.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






Ten minutes later, I had 2-1/2 chubs, 3" in diameter, the biggies about 14" in length.

I used hog rings to seal the chubs.













Krakow_stuffed_lg_zps8ead94d5.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






*INTO the SMOKER*:

Hung the 2.5 chubs and the kielbasa in the smoker. I used a couple of bacon hangers to help distribute the load and minimize touching of the links.

They seem to work pretty well. Using a pellet blend in the a-maze-n smoker. Applied smoke after the chubs & links dried first (low heat for about an hour).

Just started the smoke:













Krakow_startSmoke_lg_zps39f7d8b9.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






I anticipate this will be a 6-8 hour (possibly longer) smoke, so I'll post more pics as I go along.

More to come...

Kevin


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## driedstick (Jan 27, 2013)

Nice and warm in N.Cal??? Looks like you have some sun shinning thru ya?


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## boykjo (Jan 28, 2013)

Dang Kevin.... You need to start a photography buiness... I would hire you... The pics look great

Joe


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## jarhead (Jan 28, 2013)

Kevin, you da man.

That looks fantastic. I too am curious about the Krakowska.

Can't wait for the money shot and the recipe.

Thanks for a great step by step pictorial.


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## couger78 (Jan 28, 2013)

Okay, time to wrap this up. 

Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments.

I'll post the recipe(s) once I make translate my scribble from my aunt's recipe.

*In the Smoker*:

After nearly 9 hours in the smoker. Beginning temp of 135°F & slowly ramped it up to 170° over the course of the day/evening.

Here's a peek about 5 hours in...













Krakow_5hrsSmoke_lg_zpsffa454a8.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






A temp check indicated after nearly 9 hours the IT was about 135° on the kielbasa, 124° on the krakowska. Rather than wait until 3:00am for them to finish, I pulled the kielbasa first & plunged them into a poaching bath (165°) and less than 20 minutes later, 154° IT was reached.

Kielbasa blooming post-bath...













Kielbasa_bloom_lg_zps2dfbc1bd.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






The Krakowska took a wee-bit longer. I could only fit one of the big chubs into the tub at a time. These took about 30-35 minutes to hit the desired internal temp.

All 3 blooming. They picked up nice color during the long smoke...













Krakow_Bloom_lg_zps4f8cd1bd.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






All went into the fridge overnight to firm up.

*NEXT DAY: Sample time!*

*The Kielbasa*— I was very pleased with this batch. It's only 5 pounds (about a dozen big links), so they'll go quickly around here.

Moist, juicy with good smokey, garlicky taste. Maybe a bit more garlic could've been added, but overall, a nicely-balanced Polish dog...













Kielbasa_slice_lg_zps5a010f2f.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






*The Krakowska *— Here's the one I was anxious to try. I thinly sliced the smaller chub to reveal this...













Krakow_Cut2_lg_zps67e1a2b4.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






I was pleased to see a nice even texture with very few pockets of air. The solid chunks of loin are apparent. It slices beautifully. 

I may need to break out the slicer when attacking the larger chubs.













Krakow_Cut1_lg_zps0c7cbd04.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






Taste? I'd call this an 'Upper Class" cold-cut. It has that spicy, meaty taste of a real good bologna, but with an herbal note. Subtle, not overpowering.

Sort of a cross between canadian bacon and garlic bologna. Very tasty! Fries up great, too—although my Polish relatives would shudder at the concept of frying the stuff.

I'll slice & pack this chub up for sandwiches, snacks, etc.

If folks are interested, I'll post the recipe I used in a bit.

Kevin


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## jp61 (Jan 28, 2013)

Everything looks great! Nice job!


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## 05sprcrw (Jan 28, 2013)

That looks absolutely fantastic and I am going to have to look up a kielbasa recipe and give it a go.


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## woodcutter (Jan 28, 2013)

Nice job!


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## couger78 (Jan 28, 2013)

The *kielbasa recipe* can be found here. easy to make & quite good.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-recipes/polish-hot-smoked

Here's the recipe I used for the *Krakowska*.

It's a compilation of my wife's Aunt's recipe, plus some info gathered from various 'Polish' sources.

Enjoy!

*Kiełbasa Krakowska Wędzona*

_Makes 11 pounds_

Lean pork 6.16lbs

Fatty pork 3.74lbs

Lean Beef 1.1lbs

Cure#1  12g

Salt 90g

Garlic 5 cloves, finely-chopped

Allspice 1 tsp

White Pepper 1 tsp

Nutmeg 1 tsp

Coriander 1 tsp

Marjoram 1 Tbl

(not ground)

Water 14 ounces

• Cube lean pork into .75” cubes. Mix pork with salt (50.4g), Cure (6.7g), and sugar (7g) and store in fridge to cure for several days.

• Finely-grind the fatty pork & beef (3mm plate). Regrind twice more —or use a processor to emulsify into a fine paste. To paste, add cubed pork, the rest of the spices and water.

• Mix very thoroughly until a sticky, cohesive paste is formed (about 7-10 minutes of hand-mixing).

• Stuff meat mixture into large synthetic casing (2.75-3.25”), forming lengths of 12-14”. Tightly tie-off and prick chub to eliminate any air bubbles that form. 

• Hang in warm (120°F) smoker for hour or so until dry. Apply smoke and gradually raise temps up to 170.° Sausage is finished when internal temperature of 154° is reached.

• Plunge into ice water; let sausage air-dry & bloom for an hour or so.

• Refrigerate overnight before slicing. Serve chilled or room-temp with cheese, pickles, etc.


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## squirejoe (Jan 28, 2013)

As far as the Pork tasting different, you might want to see if there are any "Heritage" pig farms raising Berkshire breed of swine. Most of the modern, industrial Pig is bread to be leaner and grow faster. Berkshires and other Heritage breeds tend to glow slower, more fatty and taste like I remember back in the '70's. Also if you have in's with the hunting crowd, fresh Wild Boar is also just as tasty.


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## driedstick (Jan 28, 2013)

Wow that looks great. Job well done Kev. The polish to me looks very juicy and the other looks like it has a good texture to it almost looks like a boneless ham you get in store.


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 28, 2013)

Came out beautifully! Thanks for sharing the Recipe and Technique...JJ


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## smoking b (Jan 28, 2013)

Excellent job on the sausages!  Great write up too - Job well done!


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## shannon127 (Jan 28, 2013)

Kevin,

Thanks for posting your recipe, I am going to give it a try.  Here is my recipe for Krakowska.

Krakowska MeatsGr/KgActualRatioPork Loin Lean667 0.0Pork Loin trimmings3330 Kosher salt170.00.0Cure #12.250.00.0sugar2.250.00.0ground white pepper2.250.00.0garlic3.750.00.0nutmeg 10.00.0cold water400.00.0    Cut the lean light colored portions of the loin into 1/2 to 3/4 chunks.  The calculator will tell you the amount of fat/darker meat which will need to be ground through a 1/4 die.  You can use black pepper but you will see it in the finished product.  Smoke with Cherry and Apple for 4 hours at 155 degrees, then poach for 30 minutes in water at 175 degrees 













krakowska.jpg



__ shannon127
__ Jan 28, 2013






Three Krakowska from a couple of weeks ago. 

Here is the inside. 













104_9617.JPG



__ shannon127
__ Jan 28, 2013


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## couger78 (Jan 28, 2013)

Shannon - by all means give it a try. I'd like to know how it compares to other recipes you've tried.

I wound up smoking these (with heavy smoke) for much longer than I anticipated. This was due to the fact my smoker held temps _extremely_ well al day yesterday. Often it fluctuates wildly & I have to babysit it for hours....no fun there.

The good news in my house IS everybody seems to enjoy the krakowska

I hate going to all the time, trouble & expense and having folks turn their noses up at the results.

Before I slice & pack the large chubs, I'm going to continue to hang in the fridge for several more days.

This seems to help the overall texture & firmness.

Kevin


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## shannon127 (Jan 28, 2013)

It looks great to me.  We go through a 4lb stick every week, so it will be nice to try a change


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## kathrynn (Jan 28, 2013)

Love watching the progression of the sausage. Those are amazing.  Sounds wonderful.  Great Thread!


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## boykjo (Jan 29, 2013)

looks great k.............


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## sam3 (Jan 29, 2013)

WOW!

Once again Kevin, you knock it out of the ballpark!

Fantastic!


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## couger78 (Jan 29, 2013)

Thanks, all.

I do have a question for those who have made a 'boatload' of meat and wish to keep it 'at it's best' for an extended period.

I still have two large 14" chubs in my fridge and I'm debating whether to go ahead & slice them up. These would be vac-sealed in smaller packets for 'daily use.'

Alternatively, I can leave the big chubs whole and hanging. They'll continue to firm up (dry) and will be cut up as needed, but left intact during that time.

I know most local delis keep their chubs whole & slice as needed in their cooler displays.

Just thinkin' out loud here.

Kevin













Kielbasa_2chub_lg_zps1ffbcecd.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 29, 2013


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## daveomak (Jan 29, 2013)

Kevin, morning.....  If you plan on slicing and freezing...  What works well for me is....

Slice and place on saran, layer the meat slices, then wrap and enclose and freeze...  once frozen in the saran, vac-pack and place back in the freezer....   Seem the meat stays better that way...  Most stuff I vac and freeze is first wrapped in saran....  

When the vacuum is applied the saran wraps real tight and help guard against whatever is evil to frozen food....  

Or, it is best eaten fresh... I'll send the postage...  freight shouldn't be too bad to Washington....     Dave


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## zahlgren (Jan 29, 2013)




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## chef jimmyj (Jan 29, 2013)

I can't say whether letting the Chubs dry will extend the life any but I was a Deli manager for awhile and we rarely take delivery of any quantity of meat that we can't move in 5-7 days. Italian Deli's with full blown dry Cured products like Prosciutto and Salami go longer but that's about all. I too am interested in long storage options as there is Krakowska in my near future...JJ


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## shannon127 (Jan 29, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> I can't say whether letting the Chubs dry will extend the life any but I was a Deli manager for awhile and we rarely take delivery of any quantity of meat that we can't move in 5-7 days. Italian Deli's with full blown dry Cured products like Prosciutto and Salami go longer but that's about all. I too am interested in long storage options as there is Krakowska in my near future...JJ


You could make Krakowskie or Krakowska Sucha.


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## couger78 (Jan 29, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> I can't say whether letting the Chubs dry will extend the life any but I was a Deli manager for awhile and we rarely take delivery of any quantity of meat that we can't move in 5-7 days. Italian Deli's with full blown dry Cured products like Prosciutto and Salami go longer but that's about all. I too am interested in long storage options as there is Krakowska in my near future...JJ


Jimmy, I think I'll be better off slicing & vac-packing up smaller portions. Vac-sealed, they seem to keep quite well.

After about 3-5 days, the chubs will start getting a bit too dry, so I'll be doing some slicing in the next few days.

Kevin


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## couger78 (Jan 30, 2013)

I got all the krakowska sausage sliced up and ready to go into vac-seal bags.

That way it'll be easier to distribute to the masses (co-workers, neighbors, wayward vegans....)

Kevin













Kielbasa_SlicedUp_lg_zpsab1400b4.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 30, 2013


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## daveomak (Jan 30, 2013)

Sure looks good Kevin....  I'm a wayward vegan.... "NOT"....


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## couger78 (Jan 26, 2013)

I’m making two different Polish sausages— one is a basic *‘kielbasa’* I’ve made many times before with slight variations. The second is a new one for me. Many of you are familiar with it (and some have made it). It’s called, “*Kiełbasa Krakowska Wędzona* _(Smoked Krakow Sausage)_, a larger diameter meat sausage that is traditionally served sliced, cold-cut style. My wife’s Polish relatives (from near Krakow) rave on about this product, so I’m up for trying it. An aunt gave me a list of the ingredients and methods. I’m using the US cure#1 (not the Polish _Peklosól_ .6%), but other than that, I’ve tried to using the same ingredients. They (the Polish in-laws, that is) say the pork is ‘better’ tasting  in Poland (less water, more fat), so I’ll do my best using quality US pork…

*Three Days Ahead*….

I need a little over 6 pounds of very lean pork for this 11-pound recipe, which will be cut into .75” (19mm) cubes.

I have 10 pounds of a nice pork loin.













Pork_loin_lg_zpse5864de9.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






Cut into cubes and measured out…













Pork_piled_lg_zps7cfedea1.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






To these cubes, I’m adding a portion of the cure, kosher salt and sugar.













Pork_cubedampsalted_lg_zps44c241a0.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






Well-mixed and ready to ‘cure’ in the fridge for several days…













Pork_cubedamprubbed_lg_zps8839a684.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






*On to the Kielbasa*

I’m sticking with a pretty basic kielbasa recipe, with the ingredients pretty common to most recipes. Some leave out the sugar and marjoram and/or add mustard seeds. So long as there’s garlic, salt & pepper, it’ll make a good sausage…













Kielbasa_ingred_lg_zps41f0c7b7.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






The lean pork is coarse-ground (12mm plate used):













Kielbasa_coarseGrind_lg_zpscf3a3bf7.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






On the ‘fatty’ pork & fat, I used a finer plate (4.5mm):













Kielbasa_FatGrind_lg_zpsaa682e75.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






To this, I added the ingredients and about 1 cup of ice water. I mixed the dry ingredients into the water first to help improve distribution:













Kielbasa_spicesAdd_lg_zpsf75038d2.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






After a very thorough mixing (resulting in a sticky paste), I stuffed the meat mixture into 32-34mm pork casings. These will reside in the fridge until I’m finished with the OTHER sausage so I can smoke them together.













Kielbasa_Stuffed_lg_zpsac622b34.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






*Now, the Krakowska…*

So now that the pork loin cubes have been curing for a few days, I’m ready to start the process. First the ingredients: very similar list to a garlic bologna, with the addition of marjoram…













Krakow_ingred_lg_zpsaa457fb2.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






First grind: Some lean beef (3mm plate)













Krakow_BeefGrind_lg_zps3559c621.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






Next up: grinding fatty pork…













Krakow_FattyPorkGrind_lg_zps046d4acc.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






I mixed these two meats together after the initial grind, and then fed it through twice more using the fine plate. The result is a very silky-smooth, uniform paste that mimics the emulsifying effect of using a processor:













Krakow_2ndFineGrind_lg_zpsc9cca44e.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






To this smooth paste, I added the ‘curing’ cubes…













Krakow_AllMeats_lg_zpse1ddd30a.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






…and the spices.













Krakow_IngredAdded_lg_zpsdf97ca9a.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






A thorough mixing creates a desirable sticky meat mass…













Krakow_Mixed_lg_zpsd66c2779.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 26, 2013






*Next up:*

Stuffing the casings & into the smoker.

More to come…

Kevin


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## smoking b (Jan 26, 2013)

Looks great so far man!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






    Count me in


----------



## kathrynn (Jan 26, 2013)

oh yall are going to get me in trouble!  I love the sausages everyone is doing!  Thank you for the detail in this thread!


----------



## jrod62 (Jan 26, 2013)

Looks good !
I did some Kielbasa and brats today, going  in the smoker tomorrow


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## gotarace (Jan 26, 2013)

Count me in Kevin...Great Q-view so far...


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## daveomak (Jan 27, 2013)

..... 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  .......   The texture will be interesting....   I am waiting to see it sliced....    Dave


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## shannon127 (Jan 27, 2013)

Looks pretty good Kevin.  I never seen Krakowska with beef before.  I am very interested in the result.  I make at least 2 Krakowska every other week. Maybe we can swap recipes?


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## boykjo (Jan 27, 2013)

Looks great K...........Thumbs Up


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 27, 2013)

You have learned well Grasshopper.

Now take the next step into sausage making.

Looks good Kevin


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 27, 2013)

That is lookin' great Kevin! I too am interested in the Recipes...I hope they are not a Family Secret!...JJ


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## doctord1955 (Jan 27, 2013)

Me to !


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## roller (Jan 27, 2013)

Nice start !


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## driedstick (Jan 27, 2013)

Very Nice Kev I am with Dave O. on this one  cant wait till a sliced pic - making me hungry


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## couger78 (Jan 27, 2013)

*Onward to stuffing & smoking*:

Nice Sunday morning outside so I set up my Kirby cannon and loaded it up with 11 pounds of the Krakowska meat mixture:













Krakow_loaded_lg_zpsc563ba22.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






To accommodate the large chunks of meat in the mixture, I used the largest stuffing tube I have— the* 41mm howitzer*. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	

















Krakow_41mmtube_lg_zpsd4a6bb87.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






Ten minutes later, I had 2-1/2 chubs, 3" in diameter, the biggies about 14" in length.

I used hog rings to seal the chubs.













Krakow_stuffed_lg_zps8ead94d5.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






*INTO the SMOKER*:

Hung the 2.5 chubs and the kielbasa in the smoker. I used a couple of bacon hangers to help distribute the load and minimize touching of the links.

They seem to work pretty well. Using a pellet blend in the a-maze-n smoker. Applied smoke after the chubs & links dried first (low heat for about an hour).

Just started the smoke:













Krakow_startSmoke_lg_zps39f7d8b9.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 27, 2013






I anticipate this will be a 6-8 hour (possibly longer) smoke, so I'll post more pics as I go along.

More to come...

Kevin


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## driedstick (Jan 27, 2013)

Nice and warm in N.Cal??? Looks like you have some sun shinning thru ya?


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## boykjo (Jan 28, 2013)

Dang Kevin.... You need to start a photography buiness... I would hire you... The pics look great

Joe


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## jarhead (Jan 28, 2013)

Kevin, you da man.

That looks fantastic. I too am curious about the Krakowska.

Can't wait for the money shot and the recipe.

Thanks for a great step by step pictorial.


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## couger78 (Jan 28, 2013)

Okay, time to wrap this up. 

Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments.

I'll post the recipe(s) once I make translate my scribble from my aunt's recipe.

*In the Smoker*:

After nearly 9 hours in the smoker. Beginning temp of 135°F & slowly ramped it up to 170° over the course of the day/evening.

Here's a peek about 5 hours in...













Krakow_5hrsSmoke_lg_zpsffa454a8.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






A temp check indicated after nearly 9 hours the IT was about 135° on the kielbasa, 124° on the krakowska. Rather than wait until 3:00am for them to finish, I pulled the kielbasa first & plunged them into a poaching bath (165°) and less than 20 minutes later, 154° IT was reached.

Kielbasa blooming post-bath...













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__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






The Krakowska took a wee-bit longer. I could only fit one of the big chubs into the tub at a time. These took about 30-35 minutes to hit the desired internal temp.

All 3 blooming. They picked up nice color during the long smoke...













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__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






All went into the fridge overnight to firm up.

*NEXT DAY: Sample time!*

*The Kielbasa*— I was very pleased with this batch. It's only 5 pounds (about a dozen big links), so they'll go quickly around here.

Moist, juicy with good smokey, garlicky taste. Maybe a bit more garlic could've been added, but overall, a nicely-balanced Polish dog...













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__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






*The Krakowska *— Here's the one I was anxious to try. I thinly sliced the smaller chub to reveal this...













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__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






I was pleased to see a nice even texture with very few pockets of air. The solid chunks of loin are apparent. It slices beautifully. 

I may need to break out the slicer when attacking the larger chubs.













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__ couger78
__ Jan 28, 2013






Taste? I'd call this an 'Upper Class" cold-cut. It has that spicy, meaty taste of a real good bologna, but with an herbal note. Subtle, not overpowering.

Sort of a cross between canadian bacon and garlic bologna. Very tasty! Fries up great, too—although my Polish relatives would shudder at the concept of frying the stuff.

I'll slice & pack this chub up for sandwiches, snacks, etc.

If folks are interested, I'll post the recipe I used in a bit.

Kevin


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## jp61 (Jan 28, 2013)

Everything looks great! Nice job!


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## 05sprcrw (Jan 28, 2013)

That looks absolutely fantastic and I am going to have to look up a kielbasa recipe and give it a go.


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