Chicago-style Polish Sausage (ft. Jim’s Original)
The Chicago Polish sausage, a testament to the city's rich Polish heritage, is not just a sausage; it's a damn revelation. It's as if generations of Polish grandmothers conspired in some smoky, clandestine meat-coven to produce the ultimate flavor bomb. Stuffed with a blend of beef and pork, kissed by the smoke of hardwood, and seasoned with a mix of garlic, marjoram, and a touch of mystery... this sausage is the stuff of legends. And when it's nestled into a poppy seed bun, topped with caramelized onions and a squirt of mustard? Forget about it. It's like a meaty missile aimed straight at your pleasure centers. You might come to Chicago for the architecture or the blues, but you'll stay for the Polish sausage. And maybe a few antacids. 🤘🏼 Adam
Stuff I Use...
Chicago-style Polish Sausage
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1-24 hours before grinding your meat, put your grinder parts (excluding the motor, of course) in the freezer to chill.
- Begin by ensuring all your ingredients are measured out accurately. This is especially important for the curing salt, as it affects the safety of the final product.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the kosher salt, curing salt, granulated garlic, mustard powder, black pepper, dried marjoram, and full-fat milk powder. Mix them thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Cut the pork shoulder and beef chuck into manageable chunks, removing any large pieces of fat or sinew. Pour the dry ingredient mixture over the meat and mix thoroughly. Use a small splash of water until the spices are caked onto the meat and the mixture is “tacky” but not wet.
- If you're making sausages, you can now stuff the meat mixture into sausage casings. If not, you can form them into patties or leave as is for other recipes. Soak your salt-packed hog casings in water for at 30 minutes before using. Run water down the casings (see video) to ensure that there are no holes. Slide the casing onto your sausage stuffer and slowly extrude the meat into the casing until you have a 12 inch sausage. Twist the end and continue on using the rest of the meat adding more casing to the stuffer if needed. Allow the sausage to “dry” on a wire rack, uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours for best results, or use right away.
- Smoke the sausages at 150-170F for 2-5 hours, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F. If possible, use oak or hickory for an extra smoky flavor.
- Remove the sausages from the smoker and allow to cool at room temperature for 25 minutes before refrigerating until cooled through.
- To serve, re-smoke, bake or sear the sausages to heat. For a classic Chicago-style Polish Sausage, serve on a hotdog bun with a swipe of mustard, caramelized onions and a pickled serrano pepper.
Adam's Notes
- For soft and tender buns, this dough should remain fairly loose. After adding 3.5 cups of flour, only incorporate enough to make it manageable, using minimal extra flour to prevent sticking during kneading.
- For more tips and a clearer description of cooking instructions, see video.
- Get the full Hotdog Bun recipe exclusively on Patreon.
Example Weight Measurements and Calculations:
Pork Shoulder: 3629g (8 pounds)
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Kosher Salt: 65g (1.8% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.018 = 65.322g
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Curing Salt: 9g (0.25% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.0025 = 9.0725g
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Granulated Garlic: 18g (0.5% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.005 = 18.145g
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Mustard Powder: 13g (0.35% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.0035 = 12.7015g
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Black Pepper: 13g (0.35% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.0035 = 12.7015g
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Dried Marjoram: 5.5g (0.15% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.0015 = 5.4435g
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Full-fat Milk Powder: 109g (3% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.03 = 108.87g
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Water: 363g (10% of pork weight)
Calculation: 3629g × 0.10 = 362.9g
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