By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer

The method of making meat into sausage is a traditional method of preserving food. Sausages are preserved by curing, smoking and drying. The techniques are as old as the ancient Romans and Greeks, as evidenced in the various writings of that time. You may think of sausage as full of fat and made from the undesirable parts of meat, but for many, sausage making has become an art. If you make your own, you can ensure that the fat content, the amount of salt you use and the ingredients you put in it are to your liking.

The word sausage comes from the word “sausige”, which is a Middle English word. The word comes from “sal”, which is Latin for salt. In French, they are called “sausissons” and in German, they are called “wurst”. Over 200 varieties of sausage can be found in the U.S.; thousands worldwide. This article will focus on Italian sausage and Polish Kielbasa.

Both Polish and Italian sausage is primarily made from pure pork. Regional variations of both apply, with Italian “salsiccia” that often contain fennel seeds and chili in the southern regions of Italy, or “zampina”, with black pepper and garlic from the north and central regions. Polish sausage, “kiebasa”, comes in a wide range of styles, and are called “biala, kishka krajanska, krakowska, podhalanska, salska, swojska, szynkowa, and others. It can be fresh or smoked.

The following recipes are for the basic sausage mixture, followed by recipes that will give some ideas on how to use it:

Basic Sweet Italian Sausage Recipe
5 Lbs. boned pork shoulder butt, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes.
5 tsp. cracked fennel seed
5 tsp. fine ground black pepper
3-1/2 tsp. sea salt (or 5 tsp. kosher salt)
1 C. ice water (or wine)
Natural or collagen casing
Grind pork through the coarse plate of your meat grinder.* Combine the spices with the ice water and pour into the ground pork. Mix thoroughly, using your hands. Once the sausage is fully mixed, let rest in refrigerator overnight. Stuff it into casings or make it into patties or bulk packages.
* If you don’t have a meat grinder you can use a food processor, by freezing the cubed pork for a half hour, then, in batches, put the meat into the food processor and pulse quickly about ten times, do the desired consistency.

Kielbasa
5 Lbs boned pork butt, 75% to 80% lean 6 cloves crushed fresh garlic
1 T. pickling salt
2 tsp. fine ground black pepper
2 tsp. dried marjoram
1 C. ice water
Grind pork through the fine plate of your meat grinder.* Combine the spices with the ice water and pour into the ground pork. Mix thoroughly, using your hands. Once the sausage is fully mixed, either stuff it into casings or make it into patties or bulk packages. If you freeze the kielbasa, the flavor of the garlic reduces the longer the sausage is frozen. You can also add 1 tsp. of liquid smoke to the ice water if you want a mild smokey flavor.
* If you don’t have a meat grinder you can use a food processor, by freezing the cubed pork for a half hour, then, in batches, put the meat into the food processor and pulse quickly about ten times, do the desired consistency.

Sausage and Potato Soup
1 Lb. Spicy pork sausage
1 T. Olive oil
3/4 C. Diced onion
1-1/4 tsp. Minced garlic
4 C. Chicken stock
2 Potatoes, halved and sliced 2 C. Chopped kale
1/3 C. Heavy cream
Saute onions in oil until translucent; add sausage and garlic and cook until sausage is browned and crumbled. Stir in stock and potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add kale and cream; simmer until heated through and serve.

Sausage and Cheese Casserole
1 Lb. Sausage, browned and crumbled.
3 C. Shredded potatoes, drained and pressed
1/4 C. Butter, melted
12 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C. Onion, finely minced
1 (16 oz.) Container small curd cottage cheese
6 Jumbo eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch square baking dish. Stir together the shredded potatoes and butter and line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with the mixture. Combine sausage, cheddar cheese, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs. Pour over the potato mixture and bake 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the casserole comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Hearty Italian Sausage and Bean Soup
2 T. Olive oil 2 lbs. Italian pork sausage
1 Large onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
3-1/2 C. Chicken Stock
1/4 C. Chopped fresh basil leaves
2 (14.5 oz. Cans diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic, oregano and basil
1 (16 oz.) Can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C. Uncooked elbow pasta
1 C. Fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
1/3 C. Grated Romano cheese

Saute onions in oil in a stock pot until translucent. Add garlic and sausage and cook until meat is browned and crumbled. Add stock, basil, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook until pasta is done. Add spinach and cook just until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Sausage Rolls
1 Lb. Pork sausage
1/4 C. Finely minced onion
1 tsp. Dried sage
1 (17.25 oz.) Package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
1 Beaten egg
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the puff pastry sheets and brush with mustard. Mix sausage, sage and onions together and roll into the shape of a log. Place log onto pastry and roll dough around the sausage, and seal with a bit of beaten egg. Slice into 1-inch pieces and place onto an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the rest of the egg and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the rolls are puffed and golden.

Italian Sausage with Polenta
1 Lb. Italian Sausage
1 Qt. Italian Marinara Sauce
5 C. Prepared Polenta
Prepare your favorite Marinara sauce recipe. Lightly brown the sausage and cut into 3-inch pieces. Add sausage pieces to the Marinara sauce and continue cooking for about 30-40 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked.

Polenta
5 C. cold water
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. polenta (coarse yellow cornmeal)
2 T. olive oil
1/3 C. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 T. butter
Put the cold water in a heavy-bottom pot with the olive oil and salt. Bring to a boil.
Slowly add the polenta to the water, whisking or stirring vigorously as you pour.
Reduce the heat to simmer. Stir continuously for the first few minutes to avoid lumps, then continue to stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. Cook for about 30 minutes until thick. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and butter. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
To serve, mound polenta on plate, add sausage and top with sauce. If you like, sprinkle more grated cheese on top.