Smoked sausage makes quick and delicious dinners

One of the items I always try to have on hand for last-minute dinners is precooked sausage. I'll keep Italian-flavored chicken sausage for spaghetti nights and kielbasa (Polish smoked sausage) for a number of different dishes. This week, instead of the usual Monday-night fare of red beans simmered with smoked sausage, we tried a one-skillet meal of sautéed sausage with cabbage.

The term Polish kielbasa may bring to mind a very specific taste and texture based on what you've eaten here, but in Poland, kielbasa is the generic term for sausage. One of the most popular styles of smoked sausage is called Polska Kielbasa Wędzona, and its list of ingredients and method of preparation have been defined by the Polish government's Bureau of Standards.

For centuries, the meat in kielbasa was exclusively pork. In 1964, the Polish Meat Industry changed the formula to 80 percent pork and 20 percent beef. The rest of the ingredients remained the same: salt, pepper, sugar, garlic and marjoram. Since sausage is a staple in the Polish diet, there are government guides and classifications for a wide range of sausages based on size, meat, ready-to-eat or uncooked varieties.

To make a traditional Polish smoked sausage according to the official instructions, the meat is first ground and then cured. Curing aids with preservation, and adds flavor and color through a mixture of salt, sugar, nitrite and/or nitrate. After the meat has been cured, Polish guidelines dictate it be mixed with the signature spices and stuffed into hog casings between 36 and 38 mm in diameter.

The final step is smoking, which both preserves and flavors the sausage. While the original technique for kielbasa was cold smoking, most processors today prefer hot smoking over a burning fire or in an electric kiln to avoid potential bacterial contamination. Manufacturers in this country often skip the smoking step altogether and rely on liquid smoke flavoring.

With this background about the ingredients in kielbasa, you would expect its packaging to have a very short list of what's inside. Unfortunately, that may only be true if you can find a Polish butcher or other meat market that produces speciality sausages. If you buy one from Hillside Farms, for example, the ingredients include corn syrup, soy protein and monosodium glutamate - a far cry from the Polish basics.

The typical way to serve kielbasa is sliced, browned in a skillet and garnished with fried onions. Since it is already completely cooked, in can also be served at room temperature on an appetizer tray. To make the dish in the photo, thick slices of kielbasa were sautéed in a bit of olive oil with onions. Once they started to brown, a mixture of beef stock and mustard was used to deglaze the pan. At this point, we added chopped cabbage and covered the pan to steam the cabbage until tender. Other options for the companion vegetable include kale, spinach, red cabbage and chopped potatoes. Each alternative creates a different texture for the dish and a range of spices for seasoning.

Another way to feature your authentic smoked sausage is in a speedy version of red beans and rice. We prefer the rich flavor of kielbasa to the sometimes-too-spicy andouille in this recipe. If you're willing to use canned beans, the sausage mixture can be prepared in the same amount of time it takes the rice to cook. I've included both recipes for quick and delicious dinners.

Kielbasa and Cabbage

1 lb Polish smoked sausage
1 t olive oil
1 chopped onion
2/3 C beef stock
1 T Dijon mustard
2 C chopped green cabbage
salt & pepper, to taste

Cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces; sauté with the olive oil and onion in a large skillet. Once the sausage has browned, whisk together stock and mustard; deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Scatter the chopped cabbage evenly across the skillet, cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

Red Beans & Rice

2 C water
1 C white rice
1 t olive oil
1 lb Polish smoked sausage
1 C chopped onion
3 sliced green onions
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/8 t cayenne
1 broken bay leaf
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t basil
2 C beef stock
2 15-oz cans kidney beans
salt & pepper, to taste
Tabasco, to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce heat to very low, cover and cook for 18 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over a medium heat. Cut the sausage into one-inch slices and add to the pot along with onions and green onions. Cook, stirring often until sausage begins to brown. Add garlic, salt, cayenne, bay leaf, thyme and basil. Stir to combine and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the beef stock, scraping up any browned bits. Drain the beans in a colander and stir into the pot. Cover and simmer over medium low until rice is ready. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco. To serve, place one-half cup of rice in a shallow bowl and ladle in bean mixture. Yield: 4 servings.