New Mexico Smoked Polish
This New Mexican Smoked Polish is the sausage you need in your life!
Things to know:
What is a polish sausage?
A “Polish sausage” is any type of meat sausage originating from Poland. In English-speaking countries, the term generally refers to kielbasa—a coarse, garlicky, smoked pork or pork-and-beef link. Traditional varieties are heavily seasoned with spices like garlic, marjoram, and black pepper, and are known for their distinct “snap”.
What is the difference between Polish sausage and regular sausage?
Polish sausage (known as kielbasa in Polish) is simply the Polish word for sausage. In the US, it specifically refers to a cured, smoked, U-shaped sausage heavily seasoned with garlic, marjoram, and paprika. Regular sausages are highly generic and vary widely in meat, spices, and preparation.
What is the best Polish sausage to eat?
The best Polish sausage—or kiełbasa—depends on how you plan to eat it. For an everyday grill or a comforting dinner, Kiełbasa Wiejska (rustic country-style, packed with garlic) is the top pick. If you want a quick snack, the thin and air-dried Kabanos is the best choice.
What is the difference between Hatch green chiles and regular green chiles?
Hatch green chiles are a premium type of New Mexico chile grown exclusively in the Hatch Valley, known for their robust, smoky flavor and wide range of heat. In contrast, “regular” green chiles usually refer to milder Anaheim peppers, which lack the unique earthy terroir of the Hatch Valley.
What is the big deal about Hatch chiles?
Hatch chiles are prized for their unique “terroir”—a perfect mix of intense sunlight, high altitude, and nutrient-rich soil found only in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. This gives them a distinctively thick, meaty flesh and a highly sought-after balance of earthy, smoky flavor and sweet, clean heat.
Ingredients:
1 8oz. block of cream cheese
6 fresh polish sausages
2 sweet onions sliced into half moons
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup whisky (we used Crown Royal)
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped Hatch green chiles
6 hoagie buns
1. Set your smoker to 170F. Place the cream cheese on a wire rack and smoke that puppy for 90 minutes. Remove from the smoker and set aside to cool to room temperature. If using immediately, leave it on the counter. If not, place it in a ziplock bag and chuck it into the fridge until ready to use.
2. About 4.5 hours before you intend to serve this amazing dish, preheat your smoker to 170F.
3. Once your smoker hits the target temp, chuck your sausages into it and smoke them for 1.5 hours.
4. Remove the sausages from the smoker and chuck them into an ice bath.
5. After 15 minutes in the ice bath, remove the sausages, dry them with paper towels and place them on a wire rack with a baking sheet. Chuck them into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (Steps 1-4 can be done days earlier if you wish to speed up your sausage day meal prep.)
6. While the sausages are in the fridge, bump your smoker’s temp to 225F. If you haven’t already, get the smoked cream cheese out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
7. Chuck your cool, dry sausages back into the smoker until they hit an internal temperature of 165F. This should take about 90 minutes.
8. Along with the sausages, add your onions to a disposable aluminum pan with a stick of butter and the whisky, then place the pan in the smoker along with the sausages.
9. As the sausages and onions are in their final cook, in a small bowl combine the cream cheese, Hatch green chiles and garlic.
10. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto your hoagie buns, then chuck them into the oven on broil until the buns begin to crisp and the cream cheese just begins to show some browning (about 2ish minutes).
11. Time to construct this masterpiece. Lay a sausage on the toasted bun, top with the smoked whisky onions, then some crispy jalapeños. Serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640s Smoker
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