Sausage Novelty For Pesach

By Simone Weichselbaum, New York Daily News

Sausage is a sin no more – even for Passover.

Two Crown Heights foodies who started a kosher meat and deli business 18 months ago are adding specially-made sausage for the holiday which starts Friday at sundown.

“Never in the history of Passover have Jews had sausage, ” said Jack Silberstein, 26, showing off the $7.99 packs of Spicy Southwestern and Beef Kielbasa links from Jack’s Gourmet.

While pork sausage is always prohibited under Jewish law, other types like chicken and turkey are permitted – but banned along with many other foods on Passover because they contain starchy ingredients.

The kosher-for-Passover treats were born after Silberstein and his partner Dr. Alan Broner, 64, a dentist, had to shut down their Newark factories during the holidays last year.

So, for this Passover they came up with the special holiday sausage and have already sold 60,000 pieces. ShopRites and kosher grocery shops in New York and across the country sell the goods.

(COLlive note: It is certified Kosher and Kosher for Passover by the OU and the Vaad Hakashrus of Flatbush.)

They hope it will be an alternative to the usual Passover fare, like matzoh ball soup and brisket. “You can have sausage with peppers. You can have chilli,” offered Broner, who runs Jack’s Gourmet out of his Montgomery Street home.

It’s against Jewish law to eat leavened food during the eight days of Passover – which honors the fleeing ancient Israelites, busy escaping Pharaoh’s wrath, leaving no time to bake snacks for the road.

“I did a lot of research and found all the spices that I was allowed to use,” said Silberstein about the secret Passover recipes.

Jack’s Gourmet has developed a reputation for its Brooklyn ethnic sausage flavors like Jamaican Style Jerk Chicken and Mexican Style Chorizo.

Both Silberstein and Broner are now orthodox Jews but were not religious and collected cooking tips from Caribbean friends.

The pair became pals three years ago bonding during a debate over how to make authentic jerk chicken after meeting in a flower shop.

“I challenged him to a Jerk chicken throw down,” said Broner . “We don’t tell who won or lost. It doesn’t matter. We became friends,” Silberstein said.

Their taste for a good piece of non-kosher meat is considered an an advantage in the kosher food market where many cooks are religious and can’t fathom the taste of pork or shell fish.