Grilled Polish Sausage with Sauerkraut 

Recipe Courtesy of Senior Community Outreach & Information Representative Jen Clodius

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds kielbasa, Polish sausage or bratwurst
• 1 to 2 light-colored (not dark) beers OR apple juice
• 1 to 1 1/2 pints of sauerkraut**
• 2 medium yellow onions, thickly sliced
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 Tbsp. caraway seed
• Mustard

**Jarred fresh sauerkraut is recommended and can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Preparation:

1. Grill the sausages slowly over medium heat, allowing them to get well browned.
2. Be patient; do not be tempted to grill the links over high heat, or they will break open and the juices and fat will drain into the grill (they may break open anyway, but they'll break less if you cook them slowly).
3. While the sausages are cooking, put an aluminum grilling pan on a cooler part of the grill and pour in the beer/apple juice. Stir in the celery and caraway seeds and salt. Bring to a simmer. (This may require covering the grill.)
4. Once the sausages are browned add the sausages, the sauerkraut and sauerkraut juices to the pan.
5. Grill the onions.
6. Paint the sliced onion with the vegetable oil and grill on high direct heat.
7. If your grates are too wide and you think you will lose too much onion through the grates, you can either skip the grilling part and put the onions directly into the beer bath, or you can cut the onions in halves or quarters and grill them that way. Then slice them and add them to the beer/apple juice.
8. Cover the grill and simmer (a low simmer, not a boil) for 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving.
9. Serve as is in a bowl or on a plate, or in a sandwich roll.
10. Serve with mustard on the side.
11. If you don't have a grill, or this isn't grilling season, you can also put all ingredients into a casserole dish and bake in a 350°F oven for 1 1/2 hours.
12. ENJOY!

Serves 4-6.

  Portland Fire & Rescue We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  August 4, 2010