Little Kim, Big World: Polish Sausage

Our family is Polish. No, where not from Poland; both my parents and I were born here. But all of my grandparents were born there and came to American when they were very young. They all have done a pretty decent job of keeping up they're traditions. As I child, I would go to their house and wasn't able to just have a grilled cheese sandwich. Nope. How about borschet (beet) soup? Polish sausage, sauerkraut, rye bread, etc. are always on our table at every holiday as well. And I absolutely look forward to it every year. Polish sausage and sauerkraut is...my favorite meal of all time. I know that is a bold statement, but it's true. And because it's so damn fattening and delicious, I definitely have to limit myself.

So last week I broke that rule of having it sparingly and...cooked up some leftover Polish sausage. I mean, I packed on all that holiday weight already, why not just splurge again? Until last week, I've only eaten it one way; grilled sausage and sauerkraut cooked up with onions and bacon. I love eating it this way, but I wanted to try something a bit different. Maybe something a little less fattening. After some research I stumbled upon this recipe. I don't know if it's "traditional" but...it was damn good. The caramelized sugar with the caramelized onions and the tang of the sauerkraut, SO YUMMY! And pair that with the garlicy, porky, smoky flavor of the sausage...it made me so happy.

For you Chicagoans, I got this sausage at Gene's Sausage Shop up in Lincoln Square.

It my first time trying their sausage and let me say, everyone loved it. It wasn't fatty at all and had a great flavor. Gene's itself is kind of like heaven; tons of different sausages, lunch meats, tons of wine and beer (priority for me), and many different European candy's and food products. If you love trying different things...I highly suggest you go.

Here is the recipe. Hope you love it as much as I did!

Grilled Kielbasa with Sauerkraut and Onions

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs smoked Polish kielbasa
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 onion, sliced
3 cups of sauerkraut, drained (I thought it could have used a bit more, but I LOVE the stuff)
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut kielbasa into 3-inch lengths and butterfly lengthwise.

Place on hot grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side turning frequently, charring all sides.

Remove from grill. Transfer kielbasa to a baking sheet and place in oven to cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and sugar.

Allow sugar to cook to a golden brown color.

Add onions and cook until caramelized.

Stir in the sauerkraut and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until onions and sauerkraut are wilted and colored.
Remove kielbasa from oven and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add to pan of sauerkraut and onions. Toss together and cook for 1 minute.

Transfer to a platter, garnish with parsley and serve with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. (Note: I didn't make the sauce but I'll add the recipe below in case you'd like to)