How to Cook and Serve Kielbasa
Sausage is Signature of Eastern European Easter Breakfast
Mar 29, 2009
It is the tradition in many Polish and Slavic families in Eastern Europe to prepare a basket of food to be blessed by the priest of a local church on Holy Saturday. The food basket usually contains kielbasa, hard-boiled eggs, fresh rye bread, cream, butter, cheese, horseradish and salt. The first meal of Easter breaks the "paschal fast" of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. On Easter morning, the blessed eggs are shared by all family members as they extend wishes of health and happiness in the most joyous season of the church calendar, Easter.
Kielbasa is a type of Polish sausage and is a favorite in many Polish-American households at Easter. In New York City, many Polish and Slavic families seek out their kielbasa from a Ukranian meat market named Kurowycky's located in the Lower East Side. This Ukranian meat market is a family-owned business that was founded more than 50 years ago and has served many customers over the years, particularly around the holidays. In fact, it's not unusual to see a line of customers wrapped around the city block waiting to purchase the delicious hams and sausage products sold there.
Kurowycky's kielbasa is a mixture of ground pork shoulder and ground beef, freshly minced garlic, white pepper and water, according to Jerry Kurowyckyj Sr., son of the store's founder.
The cooking method below ensures that the kielbasa will have a crispy skin while staying moist and tender underneath. To prevent the skin from forming cracks while it is cooking, it's important to pierce the sausage casing in several places with a fork.
RECIPE
Easter Kielbasa
Makes 1
Ingredients:
- 1 two- or three-pound ring of kielbasa
- Loaf of rye bread
- Prepared horseradish
- Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, wide saucepan big enough to hold the kielbasa, gently cook the kielbasa in simmering water for about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the kielbasa from the saucepan. Transfer to a large roasting pan; add about 1 cup of the liquid from the saucepan to the roasting pan. Using a fork, poke holes into the casing of the kielbasa to prevent the skin from cracking. Roast the kielbasa until brown and crisp to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the kielbasa from the roasting pan and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Slice into 1/2-inch rounds on the diagonal. Serve the roasted kielbasa accompanied with rye bread, horseradish and Dijon mustard.
SOURCES
Kielbasa
Kurowycky Meat Products, Inc.
124 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-477-0344
Available locally only.
