Seventh in a series of antique family recipes—from myself and others—celebrating the paperback release of Running Away to Home on October 2, which will include recipes from the village and photos of our journey. 

Drazan’s smokehouse. He’s boiling head cheese in that kettle.

We ate some version of sausage or bacon at most meals in Mrkopalj. Drazan Horacek had his own smokehouse—Mario helped make it, and we wish they’d come to the States and build one for us—and he’d smoke hams and prosciutto and boil head cheese in there after the November pig slaughtering weekend. I had to ease off the meat for a while there, because on our tight budget I couldn’t afford new pants.

However, now that we’re home, and my YMCA membership is again up and running, I’m back on the meat train.

Here’s a recipe for making your own fresh kielbasa. It’s surprisingly easy. You can either get a sausage stuffing kit (which you can use for your spring zelodac, too) or cut a 2-liter bottle in half for a makeshift stuffer.

Any other tips from those who have made sausage out there?

FRESH KIELBASI by Helen Bubenyak

4-5 lbs pork shoulder

1 T salt

1 ¼ t pepper

1 t marjoram

2 cloves garlic, chopped very fine

½ c water

Grind meat and add remaining ingredients. Blend well and put into casings. To cook, barely cover with water and simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Making blood sausage at Zjelko and Andjelka’s house.

Sausage making day in Mrkopalj. Always first weekend in November.

Drazan getting the prosciutto and ham ready.

Hooves!

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