Polska Kielbasa Wedzona

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redzed
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Post by redzed » Sun Jan 31, 2016 20:21

Hi Crusty, so are you saying that you stew and then freeze the garlic, or just referring to the garlic that is used in the sausage making?
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Post by Butterbean » Sun Jan 31, 2016 23:10

Chris, I don't have any special way of storing garlic since there is really no need here due to our weather. I do keep some in the kitchen in a basket and its good for about a month before it starts to sprout. We have a good bit of wild garlic that begins growing in the fall through the spring but I have patches of garlic scattered around so I just gather as needed. Here is a patch I have growing by the smokehouse. Pardon the looks of the patch but it got stepped on pretty bad when we were scalding the pig.

Image

I don't know what variety this is but its pretty stout. I collected it from my friend's mother's patch. She's grown it in her fence row for as long as he can remember. Its pretty easy to grow but it does take a beating in the hot dry fall months we have but the garlic itself is in good shape at this time of the year.

Back to the Wedzona, while I wouldn't mind taking credit to making a new sausage, especially one of this quality, I think this would be far too boastful of my meager abilities and I just don't think its anything new because Marianski - in his red book on page 81 - lists this sausage as being one of the ones that can be eaten uncooked just before the Metka so I don't think its anything I could rightfully claim as my creation. I do agree it was often used in cooking but to say it wasn't eaten raw is hard for me to believe since the processing of the sausage is so similar to that we do for other dry cured sausages. On page 84 he goes on to explain more about how this process lent the meat a different texture and flavor than meats processed by other means. I have found this to be definitely the case with this sausage and I have tasted it at every stage of the process. Its almost like you have a multi-use sausage. One you can use when young and tender for some dishes or more of a salami type meat when its older.

I think its more than coincidental that the 2 day resting process at 85-90% humidity and the addition of the sugar is not some form of natural fermentation. And once in the smokehouse, the moisture from the burning wood should keep the humidity at around 87% for another two days so in a way its being given four days of high humidity before its hung to dry. Of course you'd know better than I if these low temps are suitable for fermentation. That's over my head.

Where I varied from Marianski's original procedure was in two areas. Just to be more scientific, I used a starter culture and in lieu of potassium nitrate I used Cure 2 since I knew I would be aging these longer to make them shelf stable.

I may have completely misunderstood what Marianski is saying in his book but I would come nearer to viewing this product as a testament to the ingenuity of the Polish people than something I conjured up. I would love to have him clarify this if possible. Won't be the first time I'm wrong and surely won't be the last. Either way, its a heck of a good sausage at all stages of the drying process and I'll definitely be making more of it.
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Post by redzed » Mon Feb 01, 2016 06:58

It was not my intention to dispute your process in any way. As I said in my post above that dried sausages are popular in Poland and there are numerous recipes available. But basically the sausage that bears this name is dried to only 87%. If it's dried longer it's usually qualified with "podsuszana" which means dried. But anyway, it's nothing that we should be concerned about, you've got a great sausage and that's all that counts! :lol:
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Post by Butterbean » Mon Feb 01, 2016 13:42

No dispute only discussion. Just trying to learn. It is a great sausage. Like you say at 87% it was permissible to sell so whether the buyer used it or stored it would ultimately control any further drying.
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Post by Bob K » Mon Feb 01, 2016 18:43

Butterbean-

Could you post your recipe as you made it with the addition of the culture?
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Post by crustyo44 » Mon Feb 01, 2016 20:54

Chris, I do keep some quality garlic on hand for cooking but all the home grown garlic for use in Csabai and other sausages is stewed, frozen and vac packed in flat discs so I break off some for use anywhere when needed.
Some quality garlic sells here for $ 28.00 kg and is available very infrequently.
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Post by redzed » Mon Feb 01, 2016 21:58

Thanks Jan. I think I will have to do that to the garlic that I still have to stop it from further sprouting.
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Post by Butterbean » Wed Feb 03, 2016 00:35

Bob K wrote:Butterbean-

Could you post your recipe as you made it with the addition of the culture?
Sure. I followed the 1959 process essentially.

It called for 40% class I pork and 60% class II both cut up into chunks and cured with potassium nitrate and 2% salt for 72-96 hours.

I opted for Cure 2 (0.25%) and cured with salt for 72 hours thereabouts.

It then called for grinding both meats with 13mm plate.

The spice mix was

0.8% salt
0.12% black pepper - I used fresh ground semi-course
0.05% marjoram
0.2% sugar
0.05% garlic - I used fresh garlic chopped

Here is where I varied - prior to curing I checked the pH of the meat and found it to be 5.65 so using the rule of thumb Redzed posted a while back about the pH dropping a third of a point for each gram of dextrose added to a kg of meat I added enough dextrose to bring the meat down to around 5.0 and used FRM52 - and about 2 grams to each kg. (I still stuck with the original amount of sugar after much mental debate)

After folding the spices in I added the FRM and stuffed tightly.

The procedure then called for ("drying") hanging in a 35-42F temp and 85-90% humidity for 1-2 days. I varied here by just hanging them in the fermentation chamber for 24 hours. 80F - 90% humidity. After a day the pH dropped to 4.91 so I removed them and hung in the smokehouse. It was cold outside so I left them in the smokehouse a day to dry and these conditions were similar to what was called for in the procedure.

Once the casings were tacky I smoked them in pecan for two days - the procedure called for 1-1.5 days of cold smoke. Also, my smokehouse is a stick burner so during a cold smoke the moisture from the wood makes the inside of the smokehouse pretty humid - about 87%.

Last step called for Cooling and Secondary Drying at 50-53F and 75-80% until the yield is 87%.

I just hung from the ceiling in the barn and my conditions varied from 50-60F and humidity varied 60-73% and three days later they had shrunk to 87.5%.(I think the aw was 0.94 at this point) At this stage the sausages were similar in texture as you might buy in the store although they do have a firmer meatier texture than what I'm accustomed to. Also, they seemed more filling. I ate them at this stage both cooked, fried and raw. All were good and I got more than sincere compliments on them. Raw - gave a nice flavor but the mouth feel might be out of what some might look for in a salami. According to the book, it is at this stage they could be sold.

Nine days later they had shrunk 34% and had an aw of .92 and I vac-sealed the majority at this stage for cooking purposes but I left some to dry trying to imitate what they may have done in the day if they had left them hanging in the kitchen uneaten.

Twelve days later they had shrunk nearly in half and were similar in texture to a hard salami.

Though I liked them at all stages I really liked them best at this stage - eaten raw anyway. Sadly as of last week I only had one stick left and its now gone but I have another batch on.

I'm tempted but a little reluctant to make some exactly like the 1959 process with the saltpeter and the sugar alone with no starter just to see if what happens with the meat and what type fermentation if any takes place. My guess is it would be be akin to using a slow starter but I don't know.

I'm sorry if I was too wordy but I am really impressed with this sausage and its now one of my favorites.
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Post by MatterOne » Fri Sep 09, 2016 17:50

Butterbean wrote: 0.8% salt
0.12% black pepper - I used fresh ground semi-course
0.05% marjoram
0.2% sugar
0.05% garlic - I used fresh garlic chopped

Here is where I varied - prior to curing I checked the pH of the meat and found it to be 5.65 so using the rule of thumb Redzed posted a while back about the pH dropping a third of a point for each gram of dextrose added to a kg of meat I added enough dextrose to bring the meat down to around 5.0 and used FRM52 - and about 2 grams to each kg. (I still stuck with the original amount of sugar after much mental debate)
So, just to be perfectly clear, you added 2g/kg dextrose, PLUS 2g/kg (.2%) table sugar?

Also, did you use the same sized casings (oversized 38mm) for the second batch? What are your thoughts on using a smaller casing (roughly 32mm)?
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Post by Butterbean » Fri Sep 09, 2016 22:32

MatterOne wrote:
Butterbean wrote: 0.8% salt
0.12% black pepper - I used fresh ground semi-course
0.05% marjoram
0.2% sugar
0.05% garlic - I used fresh garlic chopped

Here is where I varied - prior to curing I checked the pH of the meat and found it to be 5.65 so using the rule of thumb Redzed posted a while back about the pH dropping a third of a point for each gram of dextrose added to a kg of meat I added enough dextrose to bring the meat down to around 5.0 and used FRM52 - and about 2 grams to each kg. (I still stuck with the original amount of sugar after much mental debate)
So, just to be perfectly clear, you added 2g/kg dextrose, PLUS 2g/kg (.2%) table sugar?

Also, did you use the same sized casings (oversized 38mm) for the second batch? What are your thoughts on using a smaller casing (roughly 32mm)?
That was the recipe but I varied and used a culture to be sure. Here is what I did and it was using dextrose but if you use a culture I'd use the sugar the culture calls for.
Here is where I varied - prior to curing I checked the pH of the meat and found it to be 5.65 so using the rule of thumb Redzed posted a while back about the pH dropping a third of a point for each gram of dextrose added to a kg of meat I added enough dextrose to bring the meat down to around 5.0 and used FRM52 - and about 2 grams to each kg. (I still stuck with the original amount of sugar after much mental debate)
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Post by Butterbean » Fri Sep 09, 2016 22:40

Thoughts on the smaller casings. I say use what you got. That's what I do. I'm no purist and not about to be bogged down by something trivial.
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Post by MatterOne » Sat Sep 10, 2016 14:30

Thanks, Butterbean.

So, out of curiosity, how much sugar were you considering using that caused the mental debate?
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Post by Butterbean » Sun Sep 11, 2016 20:53

MatterOne wrote:Thanks, Butterbean.

So, out of curiosity, how much sugar were you considering using that caused the mental debate?
My mental debate came from whether or not to stay pure with the recipe or to use the culture. The recipe is relying on native bacteria and called for table sugar and my culture suggests using dextrose. I think I used both. Enough dextrose to insure proper fermentation with the culture to the safe zone and I think I added a little table sugar just for the heck of it.
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