Narrator: POLISH SAUSAGE ISN'T
NECESSARILY MADE IN POLAND.
ALSO CALLED KIELBASA,
THE TERM REFERS TO
THE STYLE OF SAUSAGE
RATHER THAN ITS LOCATION.
IT'S USUALLY MADE
ENTIRELY OF PORK,
OR A MIX OF PORK AND VEAL.
THE MEAT IS SEASONED
WITH SALT, PEPPER, AND GARLIC.
THESE SAUSAGES
MIGHT BE MADE IN CANADA,
BUT THERE AS POLISH AS WARSAW.
THIS KIELBASA IS 100% PORK,
TRADITIONALLY SEASONED
AND COOKED
BY NATURAL WOOD SMOKING.
THIS COMPANY USES
THE HIND LEG MEAT
LEFTOVER FROM
THE HAMS THEY SELL.
EACH SAUSAGE RECIPE
CALLS FOR SPECIFIC PORTIONS
OF LEAN, MEDIUM, AND FAT MEAT.
WORKERS FILL
THREE SEPARATE MEAT CARTS
WITH THE REQUIRED QUANTITY
OF EACH.
THEY GRIND THE CONTENTS
OF EACH CART SEPARATELY.
THE THREE TYPES OF MEAT
ARE GROUND TO DIFFERENT SIZES.
THE LEAN MEAT
WILL BE THE LARGEST,
AND THE FAT MEAT
WILL BE THE SMALLEST.
THE SMALL CHUNKS OF FAT MEAT
WILL FILL THE GAPS
BETWEEN THE LARGE, LEAN
CHUNKS.
THEY ALSO ADD WHOLE
GARLIC CLOVES TO THE GRINDER
WITH THE FAT MEAT.
THEN, THEY PREPARE A SPICE MIX
THAT INCLUDES GARLIC POWDER,
WHITE PEPPER,
COARSELY-GROUND WHITE,
RED, AND BLACK PEPPERCORNS,
AND A PROPRIETARY BLEND
OF DRIED HERBS AND SPICES.
THEY ALSO ADD PICKLING SALT
AS A PRESERVATIVE.
THEY BLEND THE SPICES,
PORK, AND COLD WATER IN A
MIXER.
THE MIXER ALSO VACUUMS AIR
OUT OF THE MEAT.
THIS HELPS THE SEASONING
THOROUGHLY SATURATE THE PORK.
IT ALSO MAKES THE SAUSAGE
DENSER
AND CONCENTRATES THE FLAVOR.
THEY MIX THE INGREDIENTS
FOR 15 MINUTES,
THEN LET IT REST
AND MARINATE FOR SEVERAL
HOURS.
AFTER MARINATING,
THE MEAT IS READY TO BE PUT
INTO SAUSAGE CASINGS.
THE CASING IS MADE
OUT OF HOG INTESTINE.
THE FILLING SPECIALIST
CONTROLS THE FILL SPEED
WITH A KNEE-OPERATED LEVER.
HE APPLIES THE RIGHT AMOUNT
OF PRESSURE WITH HIS FINGERS
TO STUFF THE FRAGILE CASING
WITHOUT TEARING IT.
NO TWO HOG INTESTINES
ARE IDENTICAL,
SO THIS PROCESS
CAN'T BE AUTOMATED.
THE FILLING SPECIALIST
CONSTANTLY ADJUSTS THE SPEED
AND PRESSURE AS HE WORKS.
THE FILLING SPECIALIST
TAKES THE FINISHED CASING
AND GENTLY LOOPS IT
OVER HIS ARM.
THEN, HE PUTS THE LOOPS
ON THE RACK OF
A SMOKEHOUSE TROLLEY.
A FULLY-LOADED TROLLEY
HOLDS ABOUT 550 POUNDS
OF RAW SAUSAGES.
THEY ROLL THE TROLLEY
INTO THE SMOKEHOUSE CHAMBER,
SHUT THE DOOR...
AND LIGHT THE FIRE.
THEY FEED MAPLE AND HICKORY
LOGS
INTO A 10-FOOT FIRE PIT
LOCATED
DIRECTLY BELOW THE CHAMBER.
THEY MONITOR EACH SAUSAGE
WHILE IT'S SMOKING
AND ADJUST THE HEAT EXPOSURE
AS NEEDED.
THE SMOKING PERIOD
LASTS FOR 6 TO 8 HOURS.
THE MEAT COOKS
AT ABOUT 160 DEGREES
TO KILL OFF ALL THE BACTERIA.
THE SMOKE INFUSES IT
WITH ADDITIONAL FLAVOR,
NATURALLY CURING THE SAUSAGES.
AFTER THE SAUSAGES
LEAVE THE SMOKEHOUSE,
THEY'RE CLEANED WITH HOT
WATER.
THEN, THE SAUSAGES
ARE RINSED IN COLD WATER
AND SENT TO A BLAST FRIDGE.
THIS MINIMIZES THE AMOUNT
OF TIME
THE SAUSAGES ARE WARM ENOUGH
FOR BACTERIA TO GROW.
THE RAPID COOLING PROCEDURE
ELIMINATES THE NEED
FOR ADDITIONAL CHEMICAL
PRESERVATIVES.
A WORKER CUTS THE SAUSAGE
INTO 4 1/2-POUND PORTIONS.
HE PLACES EACH PORTION
IN THE BOTTOM TRAY
OF THE PLASTIC PACKAGE.
BEFORE SEALING THE TRAY,
A MACHINE SUCKS OUT THE AIR
AND REPLACES IT WITH A MIX
OF 80% NITROGEN
AND 20% CARBON DIOXIDE.
THIS EXTENDS SHELF LIFE
BECAUSE MOLD AND YEAST
CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT OXYGEN.
THE CARBON DIOXIDE
ALSO INHIBITS BACTERIAL
GROWTH.
THE NITROGEN FILLS THE PACKAGE
TO PROTECT THE SAUSAGE
DURING TRANSPORT.
EVERY SEALED PACKAGE
PASSES THROUGH A METAL
DETECTOR.
THEN, A SCALE WEIGHS EACH
PACKAGE AND PRINTS OUT A LABEL
INDICATING THE WEIGHT
AND THE SELL-BY DATE.
A SEALED AND REFRIGERATED
PACKAGE OF SAUSAGE
CAN STAY FRESH
FOR UP TO 35 DAYS.
ONCE OPENED, THESE SAUSAGES
TASTE BEST
IF EATEN WITHIN 7 DAYS --
AND EVEN BETTER
WITH A LITTLE SAUERKRAUT.
