My Grandmother came to visit me recently from New Jersey and she brought along some authentic Polish kielbasa for myself and my husband to try. We’ve always enjoyed the grocery store variety, but had no idea how delicious this cured meat could be. Although I don’t have all the details, I can tell this kielbasa was smoked. The aroma just from cutting the sausages was intoxicating. I couldn’t wait to dig in. Too bad the skewers need a few hours to develop flavor! I would have been happy to eat these for lunch!
Ingredients:
- (15-20)Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
- 1 pound Kielbasa, sliced into 1 inch medallions
- ½ red bell pepper, large chop
- ½ yellow bell pepper, large chop
- ½ orange bell pepper, large chop
- ½, Red onion, large chop
- 1 large russet potato, large chop
- 1/3 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon oregano, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika, divided
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
Directions:
It is important to soak your bamboo sticks before preparing them for grilling. This will prevent the bamboo from burning and will ensure that your skewers stay in one piece.
Cut your vegetables and meat making sure to cut the potatoes last as they will start to get discolored if left out exposed to the air.
Be sure to cut the peppers in fairly large but evenly sized wedges. You want them to touch the grill at the same time to ensure even cooking.
You are going to want to skewer the kielbasa and the potatoes separately from the other vegetables. I started the skewering process with the potatoes. Place a large pan nearby and skewer the potatoes as shown and line them on the bottom of the pan or bag. Use half of the oil and drizzle it evenly over the potatoes.
Top with half of each of the ingredients that follow, sprinkling them evenly across the tops of the potatoes.
Skewer the kielbasa next, but do this step carefully. The skewer is more likely to slip on the meat and you can jab yourself with the sharp skewer end. I did it myself a few times (ouch!!)! I got about 6 medallions per skewer, but the exact amount will depend on what type of kielbasa you use.
Lay the kielbasa skewers over the potato skewers but don’t add any oil or seasonings yet. Instead, skewer the peppers and onions as shown, or you can make skewers that are all pepper and skewers that are all onion. I prefer to mix them so that the flavors can blend a bit, but you do sacrifice cooking the vegetables evenly.
Arrange the peppers and onions over the top of the kielbasa layer. Drizzle the remaining oil and seasonings evenly over the top. A bit of that oil will drip down on the kielbasa and all of it will drip down onto the potatoes, giving them some extra flavor. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let this sit for a few hours. If you can let it sit all day or even overnight, you will get an even better result.
When you’re ready to eat, fire up the grill!
When the grill is hot and ready, lay the skewers across the grill top and cook them each to preferred temperature and char. Make sure there is enough oil on the skewers to prevent them from sticking. I found I needed to add a small drizzle to mine. You will want to start with the potatoes and add the kielbasa and vegetables when you flip the potatoes. Serve these on a nice big platter and give each diner an empty plate to arrange their meal. The only thing I would pair this with is a nice beer or glass of wine!
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