The Absolute Best Way To Cook Fresh Polish Sausage

From pierogis, to cabbage rolls, to a hearty bowl of bigos stew, Polish cuisine offers many mouth-watering dishes. And if you're keen to sample one of the country's most celebrated meat offerings, then buy some Polish sausage. Also known as kielbasa, this tubed meat comes in dozens of varieties, many of which are cured, spiced, and smoked. However, there's also fresh types, too — most famously the biała kielbasa. Made from pork seasoned with garlic and spices, it's a flavorful and versatile foodstuff.

Subsequently, when you've bought a batch from a local purveyor, you may wonder what's the ideal preparation method is. Whether you bake in the oven, sauté on a pan, or grill, many techniques attain an edible fresh Polish sausage. However, the best strategy is a twofold approach: Poach the links in water or an aromatic liquid, and then finish on the grill. This way, you won't lose excess moisture or risk a burst casing when the raw sausage hits high heat. Yet all the while, you'll still be able to achieve delicious char marks and a smoky flavor from the grill. It's a method that'll surely let your Polish sausage flavors and textures shine.

Although more processed than a raw cut of pork, cooking sausages requires the same careful approach. You'll want to make sure the interior is safe for consumption, yet not overdone, and well-flavored, too. So enhance a batch of Polish sausages by employing Michael Symon's tip for grilling perfect bratwursts: Poach them in beer. A known technique in Poland, this will add a malty, hoppy, and slightly sweet note to the links. Despite the casing, the sausages will absorb the flavors, along with other aromatics like mustard, onions, or even fermented sauerkraut for a truly Polish touch. As opposed to a simple sauté or bake, this technique helps you attain extra-aromatic porky-goodness.

In this fragrant liquid bath, you'll want to cook your sausages to completion — it'll be easy to check the internal temperature. Then, for a dash of external color and browning, throw them on a grill. For ultimate smoky flavors, a charcoal-fueled setup is best, although gas works, too. And if you don't feel like heading outdoors, you can finish on a hot pan, although the added efforts of barbecuing it do pay off.