History

Northeast Minneapolis was the city's Polish quarter from the 1880s onward; the Holy Cross church on University Avenue NE still holds Polish-language mass. Kramarczuk's East European Deli opened on Hennepin Avenue NE in 1954 as a smoked-sausage shop and has run a cafeteria-style counter behind the butcher case ever since, with the same family at the helm across three generations from founders Wasyl and Anna through son Orest to grandson Nick. The kielbasa plate has anchored the menu for 70 years and is the closest thing Northeast has to a community dish; the deli won the James Beard America's Classics award in 2013.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh smoked kielbasa, the best quality you can source
  • 1 lb sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 1 apple, peeled and grated
  • 1 tbsp caraway seed
  • 1 bay leaf, 1 cup chicken stock or beer
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Rye bread, horseradish mustard, dill pickles and pickled beets to serve

Method

  1. Melt butter in a wide pot over medium. Cook onion until soft and translucent, 8 minutes.
  2. Add sauerkraut, apple, caraway, bay leaf and stock. Simmer covered 20 minutes.
  3. Score the sausages diagonally on both sides. Brown in a skillet over medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side.
  4. Nestle sausages into the sauerkraut. Cover. Simmer another 10 minutes for the flavors to marry.
  5. Slice the kielbasa thick. Plate sausage and kraut.
  6. Serve with rye, horseradish mustard, pickles and pickled beets on the side.

Tip from the editors. Use a true Polish smoked kielbasa from a deli butcher; supermarket kielbasa is closer to a hot dog and lacks the natural casing snap the dish needs.

Where to eat polish kielbasa plate

Polish kielbasa plate in Minneapolis

Kramarczuk's East European Deli ★ 4.7

$ Eastern EuropeanNortheast

Kramarczuk's on East Hennepin has cured Eastern European sausages in Minneapolis since 1954. Located in Northeast. Priced at $. At 215 E Hennepin Ave.

OrderPolish sausage on a bun with sauerkraut and a side of pierogi.

TipCafeteria line moves fast at lunch; the deli counter at the front sells uncooked sausage.

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