Polish Sausage with Cababage and Onions

Kramarczuk's makes long sausages!

My Charming Companion picked up a road kill deer a couple of months ago that was slightly sketchy...the meat was not at all bad, it's guts had just slightly ruptured so that the meat got a tinge of gut small/taste. That does not bode well for eating unless you add a lot of spice, so he brought 50 pounds of it to Kramarczuk's in Northeast Minneapolis to make twice that amount of polish sausage.

It's a pretty traditional polish that is smoked and salty. I think it is really good mixed with cabbage and onions for lunch, or I've had it in some breakfast things. Because it is fast and easy, it's become my fave lunch of late. I saute up a bunch of onions and cabbage, add in sliced sausage to sear/heat, and pack it in my insulated lunchbot with some sauerkraut. Yum! It's a good winter meal that uses the still abundant local cabbage and onions. Any polish flavored sausage would be good here - or an andouille or other flavor too.

Polish Sausage with Cabbage and Onions (1 serving)

1 polish sausage link, sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced
1-2 cups green cabbage, sliced thin
1-2 T ghee (preferred), lard or coconut oil
sauerkraut to serve

1. Melt 1+ T fat in a medium to large sized cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add onions and saute 2 minutes before adding cabbage. You want the cabbage and onions to brown slightly, so let them sear in the pan before stirring. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring every so often so they don't burn.
2. Meanwhile, melt just enough fat in a second, smaller skillet so that the polish sausage slices will not stick. Lay slices in a single layer on skillet and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side so that they are warm and seared.
3. Add sausage pieces to cabbage mix. Cabbage mixture is ready after a total of 20 minutes or so: it should be limp, but also brown in some places and just a tiny bit crunchy. Serve with sauerkraut and mustard. (Or pack in your lunchbot all ready to eat!)

*Another way I've been enjoying these sausages is chopped up with sweet potato and onion to make a hash of sorts - topped with fried eggs. I still have some fresh herbs from my garden that I have just kept in a container in the fridge. The sage, rosemary, and thyme are all still just fine in there?! So I added some sage and thyme to this too. So easy and delicious.