Easy way to cook smoked sausage

1. Fire your grill with charcoal, and throw in some wood chips if you have them. This adds to the nice smoky flavor of the sausage. Hickory or apple wood chips work best with the kielbasa. If you have an external temperature gauge, you are looking for the coals to reach between 300 and 350 degrees F.

2. Cooking the kielbasa whole is the best way. And despite what you may hear or read from other sources, do not poke holes in them with a fork. This only lets the juices run out, and your sausage will not be as moist when you serve the meal.

3. Spray your grill grid with cooking oil, and place the whole kielbasa on it when the temperature is correct. If you do not have the temperature gauge, just wait until the coals and chips start to change to a light-ash color. If you can hold your hand over the coals about 3 inches and count to 5 seconds without it feeling too hot, then your grill is ready.

4. With the grill at about 300 to 350 degrees, drilling pre-cooked sausage should only take about 10 minutes. Keep the grill lid closed to trap moisture. Open the grill periodically and turn the sausage a couple of times during the cooking process. Then serve your sausage nice and hot.

Different options

1. Slice your kielbasa lengthwise, and lay the sausage skin-side down on the grill for cooking. In theory, this does lose some of the natural juices. But it also is a quicker way to cook your meal. Just be sure to keep an eye on it. This cooking time on the grill is only about 6 minutes.

2. Get creative by slicing the sausage before cooking, and tossing it with green peppers and onions. This will add a nice variety and some extra flavor to your meal. Just be sure you lay this mixture down on foil so it does not slip through the grill grid.

3. Use a cast-iron Dutch oven, and toss the sausage into a bean or soup mixture. This can all be done on the grill. Just remember to keep your temperature under 400 degrees.