Kishke is a Jewish sausage made with a casing filled with vegetables, spices, and matzo flour, traditionally using beef intestines. It is often used in cholent stew and can be made with artificial casings due to bans on beef intestines in some countries. The filling is made with diced vegetables, spices, and matzo flour, and schmaltz is added for moisture and flavor. The sausage is cooked at a high temperature and then slow-roasted until done.
Kishke is a type of sausage made in Jewish cuisine which consists of a casing stuffed with a mixture of vegetables, spices and matzo flour which is dunked in chicken fat and then cooked. The authentic recipe calls for a casing made from the intestines of cows. Sausages can be steamed or boiled before being cooked in the oven. The name “kishke” is Yiddish and means “intestines”, although it is very similar to the Slavic word kishka, which also means “intestines” but refers to a wider range of sausages often made from blood and pork casings. In Jewish cuisine, kishke is often used as an ingredient in a type of stew known as cholent, which is slow-cooked and eaten on the Sabbath.
One of the ingredients used in the preparation of kishke is beef intestines, which is what gives the dish its name. These were originally used as a casing for filling. The intestines were cleaned and then boiled before being stuffed, providing a unique and sometimes strong flavor to the sausage. Over time, some countries, including the United States, have banned the sale of beef intestines. This has led to the use of artificial collagen casings or different types of inedible casings, such as parchment or plastic, which are removed before the sausage is eaten.
The traditional filling for kishke starts with diced carrots, celery and onions. They are sometimes parboiled or quickly fried, but can also be added raw. Additionally, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika are added to the mixture. The paprika used in most recipes is the spicy rather than the sweet variety.
The spices and greens are placed in a bowl and the matzo flour is added. Matzo is the main ingredient that fills the inside of the kishke and gives it a firm, binding texture. For an even filling, the mixture can be placed in a food processor so that all the ingredients are chopped into small, similarly sized pieces.
In the authentic recipe, moisture is added to the blend through the use of schmaltz. This is the liquid that results from making chicken fat. Chicken fat adds a depth of flavor and is often paired with matzo meal in other dishes. If you’re not using schmaltz, you can substitute any liquid from stock for margarine. Everything is mixed until well incorporated.
The filling is then placed in a casing. This can be a natural or artificial casing or it can be something else entirely. If filling is slow, foil or parchment can be used. You may not need a wrapper if the mixture is firm enough to be formed into sausage-like pieces and placed on a baking sheet without falling apart.
A kishke is cooked at a high temperature for a short time, after which it is slow roasted until done. The balance of greens, matzo, and fat is important when making sausages, because matzo can quickly form a solid, inedible lump or become a crumbling, chalky mess. Completed kishke can be served hot, in soup or stew, or eaten with other vegetables.
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