Description
Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG is a short, smoked and dried, tender pork sausage.
Production Area
The traditional territory of Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG is Poland.
Production Method
The pigs used for the production are slaughtered when they have reached a weight of about 120 kg; the meat must also have an intramuscular fat content in excess of 3 %. The first stage consists in cutting all of the meat ingredients into uniform size pieces (up to about 5 cm in diameter). The meat is traditionally cured (dry method) with salt and sodium nitrite for around 48 hours. The mince is then mechanically processed according to the class of the meat (I, II, III). To class I and class II meat a tenderising mix is added (vinegar, water and rapeseed or sunflower oil). It is then thoroughly blended together with spices and other ingredients (juniper, pepper, fresh garlic etc.) and stuffed into natural pig intestines; the sausages are twisted-off at about 15 cm each in length. These are dried and traditionally smoked in hot smoke for more than two hours, after which they are oven-baked until a temperature of at least 70 °C is reached inside the sausages. Before being put on the market, the sausages are dried at 14-18°C and 70-80% humidity for 5-7 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG is characterised by its shortness (around 15 cm long, with a diameter of more than 32 mm) which makes it practical and easy to handle; it is bent into a crescent shape and the surface, dark brown in colour, is evenly wrinkled. It has the typical flavour of smoked pork and is salty, seasoned.
History
The origins of Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG are linked to hunting and in particular to the hunter's bag, in which he would put dry provisions for the day. In the poem Pan Tadeusz (1834) by Adam Mickiewicz, there are descriptions dried and smoked sausage being eaten during the course of a hunt. Kielbasa mysliwska met with great commercial success in Poland after the Second World War, and this led to an increase in processing plants.
Gastronomy
Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG should be kept in a cool dry place or in the refrigerator. As is the tradition, it can be eaten on its own, maybe with rye bread and a glass of Jalowcowka (juniper vodka).
Marketing
The product is marketed as Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG. It is usually sold in confections of two.
Distinctive Features
The distinctive characteristic of Kielbasa Mysliwska TSG is its preservability: it can be preserved for long periods thanks to the ingredients added to the mince (salt and spices) and to the processing techniques (smoking and drying).
