Non-Halal Starter: Kaszanka aka Kiszka

Polish kiszka (KEESH-kah), also known as kaszanka or krupniok, is sausage made with fresh pig's blood.

Before you turn up your nose at the mere idea of a sausage made with blood, know that most cuisines around the world have a similar version—even French haute cuisine.

It was originally made to use up the scraps after slaughtering a pig—ears, snouts, and organ meats—to which spices and some grain, usually barley or buckwheat groats, were added.

Today, as is true with Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple, it can be made with other cuts of pork, as we've done here.

Kiszka can be eaten multiple ways, whether cold or heated; cooked whole on a grill or nonstick skillet; cut into rounds and fried; or removed from the casing and heated like hash.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds well-marbled pork shoulder

• 1 large pork liver

• 2 teaspoons salt, divided

• 7 cups water, more as necessary

• 3 cups buckwheat groats, or barley

• Large, clean hog intestines (casings)

• 2 cups strained pork blood, mixed with 2 tablespoons vinegar

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

Instructions:

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a large ovenproof saucepan, place pork and pork liver, and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer until meat falls off the bones, adding more water as necessary so it is covered at all times.

4. Remove meat from pot and reserve liquid.

5. When meat is cool enough to handle, remove bones, veins, and gristle, and grind coarsely. Set aside.

6. Skim fat off the reserved liquid and add enough water to make 7 cups. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.

7. Gradually add buckwheat groats or barley, stirring constantly.

8. Bring back to the boil and simmer until water is absorbed.

9. Heat oven to 375 F.

10. Cover buckwheat or barley and bake 30 minutes.

11. Have large, clean hog intestines ready for stuffing. Mix hot buckwheat or barley with reserved ground pork and pork liver. Taste and adjust seasonings.

12. Add pork blood, to which vinegar has been added to keep it from clotting. Add 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon or more marjoram, mixing well.

13. Stuff the hog casings and tie ends with butcher's twine or wooden skewers.

14. Place kiszka in a Dutch oven or large pot with warm water.

15. Gently bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes.

16. Remove from water, and hang to let it dry before refrigerating.

17. Can be eaten cold or heated.

18. Enjoy!

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