Immigrant Sausage Makers

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unclebuck
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Immigrant Sausage Makers

Post by unclebuck » Mon Feb 21, 2011 05:12

I have the privilege of living in Alberta, a province that was settled largely by Ukranians, Germans, & Poles. With their immigration here, came a vast knowledge of meat preparation. I stopped in a small "one horse" German community on my way to Edmonton to find that a journeyman German sausagemaker had a shop. What a selection of sausage and cured meat!!!! By accident I stumbled on two shops in Edmonton, both run by Polish butchers, to find two more treasure troves of cured meat and sausage. I could only wish that my sausages & cured meats could get to that level some time. It is very difficult to leave any of them with leaving behind a small wad of cash, but it is money well spent. I have tried to emulate what they have made, but to date my success has been limited. I guess experimentation in small quantities is the only option, an option that I have come to enjoy.
"What can't be smoked can't be eaten."
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CrankyBuzzard
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Post by CrankyBuzzard » Mon Feb 21, 2011 05:36

I can understand exactly what you mean. Now, we don't have the sausage makers here as you are talking about, but we do have quite a few other immigrant craftspeople when it comes to food.

Like you, I typically leave cash behind and try and emulate what they've done! Don't feel bad, even in small batches I still can't make barbacoa or chorizo like the folks at the local taqueria do!

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Troski
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Post by Troski » Mon Feb 21, 2011 13:03

Unclebuck; I'm with ya. I'm originally from Chicago's south side mostly Lithuanians and Poles. There where so many small shops with master sausage makers and meat curing experts that one could take them for granted. Then I moved here to Ohio, Wow it was like moving to a different country. Mostly Italians here and I never tasted any Italian food before but I got used to it and like it now. But I missed the tastes of home and that's how I got started in sausage making and meat curing. I've had good results with Kabanosy, Polska Wedzona and White sausage. I make allot of other sausages but those 3 are my favorite Polish ones for now.
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franknap
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Post by franknap » Sat Mar 12, 2011 04:25

Glad you got to enjoy the Italian food Troski. My wife is Polish so she never had the real Italian dishes until she met me. I live in a town with 3 very small stores...actually homes that sell their homemade Polish sausages and they are great!
When I want real Italian food though i take an hour drive to Arthur Ave in the Bronx NY and pick up a bag full of good food!
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Post by ssorllih » Sun Mar 13, 2011 02:27

I was suprized to learn that sausage is perhaps the most universal food style that we have.
I found this web site some time ago and scrolling down the countries of origin for the different sausages is humbling. http://lpoli.50webs.com/Sausage%20recipes.htm
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Troski
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Post by Troski » Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:34

Franknap; My amico, Italian food is a big part of our menu around here. My wife is also Polish from Cleveland and we learned to love it together. In fact a good friend of mine who ran a small store in the front of his house just like ones your taking about showed me how to make my first sausage with his recipe. Nothing complicated just salt,pepper and fresh ground fennel just add red pepper flacks for the hot version. I've been making these for over 25 yrs. Great with sauce and pasta and Sausage&peppers. Between his father and him they sold tons of the stuff for a little over 90 yrs. He also taught me how to make hot peppers stuffed with anchovies I still make them every year. I'll post that recipe when I do them, I just realized I never wrote it down, I will when I make make them this year. Enjoy the eastern European part of life Franknap it is all good.
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Marz o tym, jakbys` mial wiecznie zyl, zyj jakbys` mial umrzec dzis
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Post by steelchef » Mon Mar 14, 2011 09:03

Much of Canada, in particular Northern Canada has been settled by and has large populations of European émigrés. Our small city (12,000) has a huge number of German, Ukrainian, Polish and other ethnicities. Many of them have their own smokers and share recipes and produce. They do tend to be very proprietary however and my inquiries and invitations to join this forum have resulted in grins and chuckles.
I am just getting to know a family from Iran who also have deep roots in making and preserving sausage and other meats. My wife sampled what they call `simple sausage` and is totally hooked. Of course they have no written recipes so we have implored them to write down the ingredients and steps they use on the next occasion of their `simple sausage` making. It is a very spicy recipe but not terribly "HOT." There sems to be a touch of secrecy or taboo involved with this activity but we hope to draw them out. I can find no sausage recipes or reference to Iranian sausage on Google.
They don`t use smoke but have expressed an interest after sampling my `double smoked garlic` sausage, a recipe handed down from my Ukrainian mother in law. It is made without cure but keeps very well, without refrigeration.
If I have learned anything on this forum it is the necessity to use fresh meat, keep it cool and spice it lightly. Disguising the taste of the meat with large amounts of salt and spice is a true abomination.
Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.
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franknap
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Post by franknap » Thu Mar 17, 2011 23:44

Hi Trosky! I agree, minimal spices when it comes to sausage making. Got to love those small stores that make the fresh sausages though!
Those hot peppers stuffed with anchovies sound good! Ill look for that when you post it.

I was in Italy last year with my wife and had a blast. We are going to Switzerland and Germany in September, hopefully I can get some good recipes while i'm there!

Thanks!
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franknap
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Post by franknap » Thu Mar 17, 2011 23:46

Thats a great link ssorllih! Thanks!
Frank Napoli

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