Homemade Sausage Making

Kiełbasa swojska z czosnkiem niedźwiedzi - Homemade sausage with Bear's Garlic
While in Poland this past September, I was finally able to get my hands on bear's garlic (Allium ursinum) which grows wild in Europe and Asia. Among it's many uses, it's a popular additive to fresh and smoked Polish style sausages. Although I did taste a sausage with bear garlic in it, this is my first time using it. What I made here is a classic kielbasa swojska, where I substituted marjoram with dried bear garlic. The sausage on the right was brought to temp 68C(154F) by poaching and the one on the left by baking.
Meats
Pork, Class I, from loin and shoulder – 40%
Pork, Class II, from shoulder (approx 35-40% fat) 45%
Pork, Class III, from shoulder and loin - 15%
Ingredients for 1kg of meats
Non-iodized salt – 16g
Cure #1 – 2g
Medium ground black pepper – 2g
Fresh garlic – 4g
Ground mustard - 2g
Sugar – 2g
Dry bear garlic – 3g
Iced water - 100ml
Instructions
1. Cube all meats in 3-4cm pieces, keeping the different classes separate.
2. Add the salt and Cure #1 to the meats, distribute well, place in a covered container and transfer to a fridge for 48-72 hours.
3. Grind: lean pork (Class I) - 10mm; pork with fat (Class II) - 6mm; pork with connective tissue (Class III) - 3mm plate, two times.
4. Thoroughly mix spices with the Class III pork, adding 30% of the ice cold water. This emulsification be the glue that binds everything together.
5. Combine the 3 classes of meats,, mix well, adding the balance of the water gradually until a very sticky consistency is achieved.
6. Stuff into natural hog casings. I used the medium diameter 36mm.
7. Hang for approximately 2 hours at room temperature. Dry in pre-heated smoke house (no smoke) at 50-55C(122-131F) for about 1 hour, making sure the kielbasa is dry and no beads of water are visible. Smoke for 3-4 hours at 57-60C (135-140F), or until you get good colour.
8. Finish the sausages by poaching to an internal temp of 68(154F). You also have the option to finish by baking in the smoker(no smoke) at a temp of 82-85C(180-185F). I poached about two thirds and baked one third. Both turned out well. Flavour is bit more intense in the baked version, and the casing is crunchy and somewhat tougher.
9. If poaching shower the sausages with cold water, hang at room temp to dry and bloom for one to two hours and refrigerate. When baking hang to cool in the air and refrigerate when it reaches room temp.
Posted earlier in the group Polish Sausage Club

Looks good. So how does bear garlic compare to regular garlic?

Bear garlic ("Bärlauch" in German, "Ramsons" in English) is a leafy green, not like garlic at all, except in aroma. Think of spinach as far as shape and texture are concerned, and spring onion with strong garlic flavour as far as aroma is concerned.

When fresh the leaves are much more stronger than dried. Last year I made a small batch or fresh Polish sausage with freshly picked bear's garlic and you could certainly taste it. The dried bear's garlic that I used here is barely noticeable. Notice I used regular garlic as well.