How To Prepare Fresh Kielbasa In Under 10 Minutes!
Mmmh! Nothing brings more liveliness to that Sunday brunch than well prepared tasty sausages. Make that a Polish kielbasa, and you got me sold. Not only does this exotic food speak culture, what you get is a supreme melange of meat flavors.
Cooking fresh kielbasa is something of a dynamic agenda that depends on the modern culture around the world. Some will prefer it boiled, and stir-fried, some like it pan-fried (typically in European countries) and others like it grilled (most commonly in the Americas). Are you salivating like me already? Still wondering what kielbasa is and how to prepare it? Let’s start by understanding it.
More...
So what is kielbasa anyway?
Kielbasa is a Polish word which means sausage. Essentially it is a Polish sausage, distinct by its unique blend of beef and pork. Polish people will tell you that each preparation of kielbasa is made unique by the individual touch or mixing the beef and pork.
This savory dish can find its way as either an entrée or a meat ingredient in your pasta, stew or gumbo. Fresh kielbasa, as referred to as white kielbasa, comes in raw and unsmoked condition. It has links of sausage of 11 inches in length and 1.4 inches thick.
Traditionally, each serving of Kielbasa comes with a selection from a wide range of seasonings. The most common, though, are basil and marjoram.
Things to consider before preparation
Kielbasa (raw or cooked) should be kept in cool refrigerator temperatures or simply frozen. The lower the temperature, the longer the shelf-life. The result will be the longer-lasting freshness of your sausages. In the refrigerator, expect about 1-2 weeks for your unsealed kielbasa and 3-4 weeks of the sealed one. In the freezer, you can be sure of up to 6 months for your unsealed kielbasa.
Whether you choose to grill it, roast it, sauté or boil it, the result depends on the method. We do not recommend boiling your kielbasa, though. The reason for this is that there’s a high chance of losing many of the precious flavors which are in the meats.
We will talk about the most common cooking methods: grilling and pan-frying. Let’s get rolling!
Grilling Method
To remain as native as possible to the Polish cuisine, kielbasa is best grilled and served on a bun with fried onions. For a more urban touch, you can spice up this dish with jalapeno pepper that has been pickled, yellow mustard or sauerkraut and a light touch of fried onions. Grilled kielbasa is a great takeout or an on-the-go meal for those who need a quick bite on the way to work.
Check out Chef Mark’s video. It’s a comprehensive outline on getting the perfect Polish sausages in a few minutes.
Things you need
- Fresh kielbasa
- High-quality vegetable oil
- Additional sauces for flavor enhancement
- Buns
- A grill
- Some paper towels
Preparation steps
- Turn up the grill to medium heat and apply the oil on the grill bars with a towel.
- Take caution not to touch the grills to avoid risks of getting burned. Use large tongs to dip the paper towel in the oil and applying the coat. Alternatively, use fire-proof grill gloves to apply the oil with your hands.
- Place the kielbasa on grill bars. Move them around a little to spread oil on their surface.
- Cover and let it cook. Ensure you grill for about 4 minutes before flipping the sausages to the other side.
- After this, prepare your toasted bun.
- Take out the sausages. Place them on the buns and add your preferred toppings.
- Serve while warm. Enjoy!
Pro tips
To ensure you get the best out of your Polish sausages, we recommend the following:
- Make sure you place a few sausages on the grill. It will allow for maximum heat circulation and overall cook quality
- For those with a grill with more spaced out grill bars, place an aluminum foil on the bars before grilling. Aluminum is great for heat distribution and will achieve the same results as the traditional American grill.
Alternatively, you can grab a grill from Amazon today. Check these out:
Pan-frying Method
Things you will need
- Fresh/White Kielbasa
- Vegetable oil
- A serving platter
- Large tongs
- A cutting board
- A cast iron skillet
- A few paper towels
Preparation steps
- Put your skillet on medium heat
- Pour in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Use a basting brush to spread the oil on the sides and bottom of the pan before it gets too hot. Alternatively, if you had already seasoned the pan, move on to step 3.
- Take out the kielbasa from the container and slice it up on a cutting board. You can opt for either a lengthwise cut (to get 4-inch thick slices) or a cross-sectional cut (to get about 1-inch thick slices)
- Gently put a few slices on the pan. Leave enough room to be able to flip the kielbasa as it fries up
- Crank up the heat to medium heat and fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Place a lid on the pan to keep splatters under control.
- Put some paper towels on the platter. Once ready, remove the sausages and place them on the serving platter.
Serving tips
Polish sausages can be served in many creative ways, depending on the occasion and purpose.
- For family dinners, you can opt to serve it chopped up with a vegetable salad on the side. You can also opt to make it part of a salad by dicing it into smaller pieces. To get a more traditional feel, you can have it stir-fried and served with some rice or pasta.
- For those on camping trips or operating a food truck, you can serve it with buns. Add your favorite toppings, and you will be praised for the best Polish sausages.
Pro tips
- Checking for good-quality kielbasa.
If you want to know whether your kielbasa is top-quality follow the steps shown below:
Slice and look inside. Good quality Polish sausages will have visible pieces of meat. On the other hand, if the meat is ground too small, much like hot dogs, you don’t have the best kielbasa.
You should ask your local deli or butcher to give you ones with bigger chunks of meat inside.
- How about you make your own?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could prepare your kielbasa right from scratch? The answer is obviously yes! These Polish sausages can be made from not just pork and beef, but also from lamb, veal, and even turkey.
Check out this basic tutorial on how to make your Polish sausages. It only requires you to have a meat grinder, sausage stuffer, a smoker and be able to visit a grocery store. If you don’t have any (or all) of the mentioned equipment, check out these on Amazon:
Remember, the kind of wood you use will directly affect the flavor of the sausage. Opt for applewood or cherrywood.
Conclusion
With all that, we hope that you have what it takes to make a great kielbasa. These pro-tips will ensure your sausages remain unique each time, just like mine. Have a look at the references provided to help you gain more knowledge on kielbasa and its preparation.
We’d love to hear what your kielbasa experience has been so far. How was your preparation experience? What was the response from your friends or family? Just leave us your comments and inquiries in the comment section.
Until next time. Enjoy!