I have fond memories of my grandfather’s kielbasa, He made it for all of the major religious holidays which were so much a part of our life. My favorite was the smoked version. My only experience was being in his backyard on Mt. Elliott and seeing some sausage being smoked. The kielbasa was suspended form the top of a 55 gallon drum with the lid askew so as to impede but not totally blocking the smoke given off by the wood fire under the drum that was sitting atop a cinder block. Dziadzia was a carpenter and always had scraps of wood for the fire. I do wonder if he selected certain woods to burn or just used whatever he had. Whatever, the wood, the results were fabulous. To this day, whenever I have kielbasa I judge it by the gold standard of his kielbasa.
My children were lucky enough to taste this delicacy in their youth. I don’t remember eating on a plate. Dziadzia would serve it to you wrapped in a paper hand towel to be eaten like an ice cream cone.
My cousin Stash, (Stanley Lichota III b. 1942) shared the following about the process of making kielbasa while helping our grandfather.
“Hi all, the garlic was one component in making fresh kielbasa. Other ingredients were ground pork butt, salt and pepper, and animal intestines[today they use veggie casing]. The intestines came packed in a container resembling cottage cheese today. Usually had to ask the butcher[remember them] as they were kept behind the meat counter. Remember buying some for Dziadia a few times. The intestines were packed in salt and had to be soaked in water for some time[not too long]. Casing had to be carefully handled as they were delicate and unwound. Dziadia would unwind a length, hold it to his lips and blow into a small opening at one end. The casing would unfurl much a like a carnival balloon. The casing was slipped over an old mason jar oil spout[motor oil that is] and genteelly slipped onto the oil spout. Were ready to make kielbasa! In fact the meat was ready for stuffing into the casing. Dziadia had an old hand crank meat grinder that was bolted to the kitchen table – wood or metal clamp. The meat was placed into a hopper and pushed in with a wood whatchamacallit. The meat would have been hand mixed – meat, garlic[aha the smell], salt & pepper and a cup or two of water. Without the water the mixture would tear the casing. Today’s lubricated condom; same principle. I would feed the hopper with meat, poke with watchamacallit, and Dziadia would fill the casing, slowly slipping the casing off the oil spout! After a two foot length of sausage, D. would tie off both ends of a completed kielbasa link. Repeat until meat is used up. This story is out of sequence; you figure it out! Next comes the cooking. We took the sausage links and hung them on a rusty metal rod D. had in the garage[remember that ?]. This was placed over a rusty oil drum mostly used to burn trash[are we salivating yet?] and smoked the kielbasa over a fire in the bottom of the oil can with what ever wood scraps and coal pieces D. had in the garage. I remember the sausage cooking away and become coated with soot[appetizing anyone]. The soot would be rinsed off with a hose after smoking was done and kielbasa had cooled. Kielbasa was later finished cooking usually on the Sunday when we all visited. It was a good lunch enjoyed by all; never any leftovers!! This has made me hungry. Time for a hearty bowl of blut[blood] sausage soup[complete groats and liver] accompanied with a side of bigosh[capusta stew]. My arteries constrict at the mere thought!! Stas”