Slovenian carniolian sausage or 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. If you plan to eat it fresh, you can skip this step. I recommend consulting a sausage-making book if you plan to smoke.

See Also

Bulgarian Sausages Recipes

Polish Sausages Recipes - Kielbasa

All About Hungarian Sausages - Kolbasz

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 pounds coarsely ground pork shoulder
• 6 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika (optional)
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon saltpeter, if cold smoking (if using, decrease salt to 1 tablespoon)
• 1 cup finely chopped onions (optional)
• 4 slices torn-up bread (optional)
• 1 cup cold water
• About 8 ounces hog casings

• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes

• Total Time: 120 minutes
• Yield: 4 1/2 lb. fresh or 3 lb. smoked

Preparation

1. Soak crushed garlic in wine overnight. Soak casings in lukewarm water about six hours. In a large bowl, mix ground pork, pepper, paprika, if using, salt, saltpeter, if using, garlic-wine mixture, and onion and bread, if using. 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.
   
   

1. Take casings out of 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 oven. Here are step-by-step instructions for sausage stuffing.
   
   
2. 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.