DeRusha Eats: Kramarczuk's Holidazzle Sausage
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Holidazzle will begin Friday evening and will be underway all month long.
The event, which changed from a parade to a holiday village in 2014, is introducing some new changes in 2015.
In addition to the new location in Loring Park, there is new food. Among the new dishes is a special sausage created by Kramarczuk's.
It is the holiday season at the legendary Kramarczuk's.
For more than 60 years, people have been loading up on the shop's kielbasa and smoked Italian sausage.
Along with the usual chaos, this year Nick Kramarczuk is in the kitchen making a special sausage for an iconic winter tradition.
Kramarczuk's is part of a local revolution happening at the Minneapolis Holidazzle.
The 2015 Holidazzle is featuring more local vendors and more local flavors.
"This place is such a Minneapolis institution, and the Holidazzle is too," DeRusha said.
"Thanks," Kramarczuk said. "I think it's a really good partnership, match made in heaven. We're all about tradition just like the Holidazzle."
Along with the traditional cooked brat they sell at Target Field, and that same kielbasa they've been making since 1954, they'll sell the Holidazzle sausage.
"We're starting with some ground pork. This is picnic. We try to get it from local farms when we can," Kramarczuk said.
The pork is about 25 percent fat, which gives the sausage flavor and that juicy texture.
"First we have a holiday blend of spices," Kramarczuk said.
Nutmeg, thyme, sage and celery power are all added to the meat, along with white pepper and dried cranberries.
Then they add the Minnesota touch – Minnesota wild rice.
"Get in there, make sure it's really well combined," Kramarczuk said.
After it's mixed and cased, Kramarczuk smokes it for three hours.
Now, this non-traditional sausage is becoming a stable at a Minneapolis holiday tradition.
"We wanted something that somebody could get on a cold day that warms their soul," Kramarczuk said.
Kramarczuk's will also sell a Nuerenberg-style sausage, which is like a really skinny bratwurst. The sausages will be on sale for two for $6 at the Holidazzle.
Holidazzle is at Loring Park Thursday through Sundays until December 20.