Potatiskorv

Potato Sausage is one of those fantabulous dishes usually made and enjoyed during the holidays - specifically Christmas. Now, this is a tricky one because it's really become more of a Swedish American thing rather than a straight up Swedish thing. Which, is where the best of my experiences come from - being a swedish american. But, I digress. This tasty concoction was devised in the old country well over a hundered years ago. I'm not for certain, but I believe it was created out of necessity when eats were scarce and families made do by throwing together what little they had. Astrid Lindgren mentions it in one of his books about Emil, too! In the case of which I am speaking, the dish became what many scandinavians called potatiskorv, or potato sausage.

Essentially, it's ground potatoes, onions, and sometimes rutabega mixed with ground meat. I say meat, because just about any kind will do. Generally, I use a combination of venison/beef and pork, though it can be done with pure beef, or venison. The pork adds a little fat that is very needed and appreciated even when it comes time to stuff the sausage. We have experimented over the years and tried it with all lean meat, but stuffing the sausage was incredibly hard to do when it's too lean, and the sausage comes out tough.

As is tradition, usually this is made around Thanksgiving or Christmas time, however, since I am our family's official potato sausage maker, keeper of the grinder & stuffer - I can make it any dang time I please, and it has been my requested Birthday supper for as long as I can remember.

My time line and rules are simple.
1) I don't make any on short notice. It takes mental prep to get into the mood to make this stuff. It's very time consuming, and dang it, messy too!
2) I will only make it for blood relatives. Everyone else, just hope I'm makin' a batch because I want it, or you ain't gettin' any.
3) I dispise making potatiskorv when the temp is above 50. It's just better when the weather is cold. I don't know why for sure, but I just prefer it when it's cold. It tastes SO much better.
Other than that - don't you dare put ketchup anywhere near my plate. It's just wrong. I can forgive non-swedes for such a heinous infraction, but to even suggest it to me could get you injured.

OK. So. On with the recipe. Here is a good version. I will include all the variations that I am told norwegians and finlanders like to mix in - feel free to create your own variant according to your tastes. It's ok. that's what it's all about.

Special Equipment : Grinder, Sausage Stuffer. Sausage stuffer doesn't have to be fancy. My grandfather made one years ago from an aluminum can, some spare sheet metal, and made a plunger out of wood. Many hardcore Scandinavians will use a cow's horn, or in leiu of a stuffer will use a angel food pan with the casings on the center part and hand stuff it. I think this is silly. Make a stuffer, or buy one. It's so worth it if you make it more than once in your life.

First things first. Here is where many folks would rather not even try to go. The casings. Natural pork casings really are the best there is. We have indeed tried collagen, but you can't boil collagen, and a baked version just doesn't come out right. So, get your casings, rinse them well inside and out (they are clean when you get them, I just like them super clean), try to keep them untangled, and set them aside in a bowl. They need to be untangled for the stuffer.
Start with a 5 pound bag of potatoes. Wash, peel, quarter, and wash again. Let them sit in a bowl full of water while you continue. Next, peel and quarter a few onions, depending on your personal onion preferences, and the strength of the onions. There are no set rules here. Peel and cut into pieces around the same size as your quartered potatoes - the rutabega. It's ok. Rutabeggy is a highly underrated root. I like to sneak them into the family's mashed potatoes. They never know. well - maybe now they do.

Moving along. Take out a grinder, attach it to your preferred area (mine is the dining room table, with a pie pan directly under it to catch the excess water and potato starch). Put a pan under the business end of the grinder and start grinding your potatoes, rutabega, and onions.

Toss the ground goodness into a larger bowl than you think you need and add to it 2 - 3 pounds of ground meat. Try 2 to 1 beef to pork, or venison to pork. Adjust the next batch as you prefer. Add salt, pepper, allspice, and, if you prefer, milk.

My personal spicelist is vast it includes : Salt. Pepper. That is all for me.

Mix it all up very well, and stuff the mixture into clean, rinsed casings.

Add salt to the water and sausage** in the pot, bring to a boil and keep it there for 30 minutes. Serve hot with lingonberries, and a side of baked beans. Perfect dinner. Enjoy.

**Tips & Tricks - A helper is incredibly nice, but not necessary. Tips: Use fresh fresh fresh meat. Did I mention fresh? Do not include any funny spots with the potatoes, and when in doubt, hold back with the salt. You can always add more later. Be aware that there is one little road bump that can occur when cooking the sausage. Blowouts. It's a hazard. To avoid them try to follow the simple rules:

1. Poke holes in the rings with a toothpick or tip of a sharp knife. (but not too many)

2. Bring it to a good boil, but don't have it rockin' too hard. If there is too much heat, you will probably split the bottom ring (nearest the burner)

3. If you do split a ring - do not dispair!! Let it rest in a collander or strainer to drain out the excess water, and dig in. The flavor is not damaged, even if it is a little water logged.

*** Special Note: If you are not so inclined to make potatiskorv, there are several butchershops and other retailers with wonderful reputations who make and sell potatiskorv in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, Northern Minnesota, and I'm sure some areas of Wisconsin. I'm sure it can be found in other Swedish strongholds here in the United States as well: Chicago has Wikstroms, and Lindsborg, Kansas and some areas of the Dakotas are heavy with Swedes. Good Luck!!