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Close up of cut kabanos sausage.

Homemade Smoked Kabanos Sausage

Course: Appetizer, lunch
Cuisine: Eastern European, Polish
Keyword: kabanos, kabanosy, sausage sticks
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 days
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 518kcal
Author: Victor
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Ingredients

  • 2000 g lean pork 4.5 lbs (no more than 10% fat)
  • 3000 g pork 6.5 lbs (no more than 30% fat)
  • 66 g kosher salt about 3 2/3 Tbsp
  • 11 g Cure #1 about 2 1/4 level teaspoons
  • 7.5 g black pepper about 3 3/4 tsp, coarsely ground
  • 2.5 g nutmeg about 1 tsp, ground
  • 10 g sugar about 2 tsp
  • 2.5 g caraway about 1 tsp
  • 2 cups ice water

Instructions

  • Cut the meat into 2" (5-6 cm) pieces, mix with the salt and Cure #1. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate for 48 hours.
  • Grind the lean pork through 1/4" (6 mm) plate, and the fattier pork through a 3/16" (4.5 mm) grinder plate.
  • Mix the ground meats, with the seasonings, adding two cups of ice water.
  • Stuff firmly into sheep casings or young hog casings not bigger than 22 mm. Form links and tie with a butchers' twine, or leave as a continuous coil. Prick any visible air pockets with a needle.
  • Dry in a cooler for 12 hours at 35F - 43F (2C - 6C), or for about 30-60 minutes at room temperature. You can also dry in the smoker at about 110F - 130F without smoke for 20-30 minutes, until the skin feels dry.
  • Smoke at 140F for 1 hour, until the casings develop dark brown color, followed by 20-30 minutes of baking, until the internal temperature reaches 154F (68C).
  • Instead of baking, you can poach at 161F - 165F for 15 - 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 154F.
  • Dry at 53F - 64F (12C - 18C) and 75-80% RH for 5-7 days, until 45% total weight loss.
  • Store in a refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 82g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 258mg | Sodium: 2740mg | Potassium: 1521mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 5mg