Slovenian Carniolian Sausage

Traditional Slovenia dish of sausages
tirc83 / Getty Images
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Smoking takes: 48 hrs
Total: 50 hrs
Servings: 16 servings

Slovenian carniolian sausage (kranjska klobasa) is one of the most popular pork sausages in Slovenia, where lightly smoked, semi-dried sausages hold sway. Kranjska is traditionally smoked, but it can be left unsmoked and cooked fresh. The sausage apparently originated in Kranjska, a town in the mountainous Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.

If you plan to cold smoke this sausage, you will need to add saltpeter or nitrates and decrease the salt to one tablespoon. If you plan to eat it fresh, you can skip this step. Consult a sausage-making book if you plan to smoke.

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, coarsely ground

  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1/2 cup white wine

  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons salt

  • 1 tablespoon saltpeter, optional

  • 1 cup cold water

  • 8 ounces hog casings, approximately

  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, optional

  • 1 cup finely chopped onions, optional

  • 4 slices bread, torn, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Soak crushed garlic in wine overnight. Soak casings in lukewarm water about 6 hours.

  2. In a large bowl, mix ground pork, pepper, paprika, salt, saltpeter (if using), garlic-wine mixture, and onion and bread. Add water and mix well. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to meld. Remove from refrigerator and mix by hand again. Fry up a small patty to make sure the seasonings are to your liking.

  3. Take casings out of the water and rinse several times by letting cold water run through the casing. Fill casings with meat mixture, being careful not to leave air pockets. Twist into uniform lengths. Smoke the sausages for two to three days. Fresh sausage may be pan-fried or roasted in the oven.

  4. To prepare sausage you have smoked, place in cold water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and serve.