Two Master Butchers Have Made the Smoked Kielbasa of Our Dreams

While we love grilledribeye或黄油柔软filet mignon, we can’t deny it—sometimes, there’s nothing that can fill the void in our hearts like a goodhot dog. Over the years, we’ve tried countless brands, from ballpark classics like Nathan’s to awagyu hot dog that tastes like steak. (Yes, really.) So when we heard that Jocelyn Guest and Erika Nakamura, the powerhouse屠夫from New York’s now-shuttered White Gold, launched their own line of natural, uncured packaged sausages this summer, we knew we had to try them. Dubbed “J&E SmallGoods,” the company offers kielbasa, bratwurst, and hot dogs made without preservatives, antibiotics, or hormones. The grass-fed beef and heritage pork they use are sourced from local family farms “that raise animals the right way,” per theirwebsite; they also believe that good meat shouldn’t be a privilege, but a right.

According toEater, the couple hopes to add more products, including bacon, pastrami, and roast beef, to their roster as well. But in the meantime, J&E SmallGoods was kind enough to send over samples of the already-released products. So we gathered in our test kitchen andgrilledthem up until they all had nice char marks—then, we cut them into bite-sized pieces and compared them to each other, noting taste, texture, and overall experience. Read on for our findings.

Ingredients: pork, water, sea salt, spices, celery powder, dehydrated garlic, hog casing.

We found thisbratwurstsatisfyingly thick with a good texture, and strong notes of white pepper. It’s more mild than the other two sausages, with light undertones of smoke.

“Chewy, mild brat flavor and nice texture,” an editor noted.

Ingredients:牛肉,水,猪肉,海盐,美籍西班牙人es, cane sugar, celery powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce powder, sheep casing

Editors loved the crisp texture of the casing on this hot dog, which gave way to a softer inside. The flavor was unique, and elicited a few different tasting notes—some found it to be smoky and spicy, while others noticed an almost briny undertone, reminiscent of seaweed or miso.

“The casing is great, good length and width,” an editor said. “There are interesting undertones here that I can’t place.”

Ingredients:猪肉，牛肉，水，海盐，香料，大蒜粉，蔗糖，芹菜粉，猪壳

其中三个香肠，这kielbasa是我们最喜欢的 - 套管是不吝啬的，香肠有一个咸的烟雾，一丝香料通过。纹理被称赞为光滑和多汁。

“Would definitely add to a grilling party spread with burgers and hot dogs,” one editor wrote. “Snappy, good amount of salt and smoke.”

If you’re interested in buying any of the sausages, they’re available to order online. You can also find them atselect vendorsin New York, including Eataly Flatiron, Mekelburgs in Clinton Hill and Williamsburg, and DeCicco & Sons in Larchmont, Armonk, Millwood, and Somers.