This original handmade bratwurst recipe will transport you to Germany’s delectable cuisine! Make a double batch and store them so you can grab and grill a bratwurst whenever the urge strikes! Handmade bratwurst from Germany! As soon as you take your first bite, you’ll recognize that “German flavor” from your time spent in Germany eating Bratwurst from German fast food booths. There’s nothing quite like an authentic German Bratwurst, whether eaten whole on a piece of crusty bread with mustard or sliced and served as Currywurst!
How to Make Homemade German Bratwurst?
A crusty roll drenched in German mustard or served with sauerkraut, French fries, or potato salad are the most common accompaniments (like this Authentic German Potato Salad). By slicing the sausages and presenting them with Curry Ketchup, the Bratwurst can also be changed into the famous Currywurst (see our recipe for Authentic Currywurst).
You’ll need a meat grinder and a sausage stuffer to make sausages. Years ago, I tried using the Kitchenaid attachments for both of them, and as any expert sausage maker will tell you if you want to create more than 2 or 3 sausages, they’re downright annoying. If you’re interested in creating sausages, I strongly advise investing in excellent equipment that won’t leave you dissatisfied and vowing never to cook sausages again. That won’t compromise the quality of your sausages.
Use the Turbo Force Electric Meat Grinder from STX International. It has excellent evaluations and comes highly recommended by most review sites as the best bang for the buck, with 3000 watts, three speeds, and a three-year warranty.
I’ve been extremely pleased with the Super Deal Heavy Duty 5L Vertical Sausage Stuffer. We looked at all of the sausage stuffers on the market and decided on this one because of its considerable capacity, all-metal construction (no plastic parts, no breakage), and ease of cleaning.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (half veal can be substituted), cut into 1/2 inch chunks and frozen for 45 minutes before grinding 12 ounces pork back fat, cut into 1/2 inch chunks and frozen for 45 minutes before grinding
- 2 cups ice (crushed)
- Combine all the following ingredients in a mixing bowl to make the spice mixture.
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup powdered dried milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white pepper, freshly ground
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- One teaspoon of mace powder (can substitute nutmeg but strongly recommend mace for traditional German flavor)
- One teaspoon of ginger powder
- 1 tsp marjoram (dried)
- a quarter teaspoon of mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
- 4 feet of 32mm natural hog casing
Instructions:
- Combine the pork, fat, and broken ice in a mixing dish. Using a meat grinder, immediately ground the mixture through a 1/4 inch (6mm) die. To keep the beef cool, crush the meat mixture into a bowl and put it above an ice bath. Half of the ground mixture should be ground a second time.
- Note: To prevent the fat from becoming too mushy, the meat must be kept at a consistently cool temperature. You should be able to distinguish between the lean meat and the fat flecks in the crushed mixture with ease.
- Refrigerate the meat while you put together the spice combination. Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. Remove the ground meat from the fridge and place it on the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Combine the spice mixture and the dry milk powder in a mixing bowl.
- 3-4 minutes with the paddle, stir the meat mixture until threads develop in the flesh: You may see microscopic threads tearing apart a clump of meat if you pull it apart with your fingertips. Your meat is done when you notice this. Add a splash of ice water if the meat mixture is too dry and stiff.
- You want a nice, smooth mixture that will go into the shells quickly. This is also the time to taste your sausage mixture to see if seasonings need to be adjusted. Take a small amount of the meat mixture, fry it in a skillet, then taste it and adjust the seasonings.
While you prepare the casings, return the meat mixture to the refrigerator. - Thread your sausage stuffer with the prepared hog casings, fill the sausage stuffer with the meat mixture, and stuff the casings, being careful not to over-stuff the casings and eliminate air gaps.
Form the sausages into links by twisting them together. Prick any air bubbles out of the links with a sausage pricker.
Chill the sausages overnight for optimal results. - Gently poach the bratwursts in lightly salted water before frying or grilling them. They can be kept in the fridge for up to a week after being poached if firmly covered.
You can freeze the Bratwursts raw before poaching (thaw, poach, fry/grill) or after poaching (thaw, poach, fry/grill). - Depending on the size and diameter, this makes about ten bratwursts.
What’s the Difference Between Bratwurst and German Sausage?
Sausage is a ground beef preparation that comes in dry or fresh variations and is sold in casings as links or in bulk. Fresh link sausage produced with pork or veal is known as bratwurst. Bratwursts are a sort of German sausage commonly known as brats. “Bratwurst” is a generic term for all sausages in Germany: “brat” refers to ground meat, and “wurst” refers to sausage.
Bratwursts are most commonly made with pork and veal, although they can also be produced with beef and veal or any mix of meats. It’s as simple as that! To summarize, a sausage is any seasoned ground pork product that is dried, smoked, precooked, or sold fresh. On the other hand, a Bratwurst is a fresh link sausage made from pork, veal, and other meats.
What Is Authentic German Bratwurst?
Bratwurst comes from the Old German word Brät, which means “chopped” meat, and the more modern verb braten, which means “to fry.” While some sausages are served poached, the Bratwurst is invariably pan-fried or grilled after being poached. listen)) is pork or, less typically, beef or veal-based German sausage. Although it is typically connected with the verb beaten, to pan fry or roast in modern German, the name is derived from the Old High German Brätwurst, from brät-, finely chopped meat, and Wurst, sausage.
Bratwurst. The bratwurst—a.k.a. “brat”—is one of the most famous German sausages, second only to the Frankfurter Würstchen. It is generally produced from veal, beef, or pig. The sausage recipe varies from region to region, with over 40 variants.
How Is Bratwurst Served in Germany?
Bratwürste can be prepared in various ways, but the easiest and most popular is to grill them (on a barbecue) and serve them with mustard and a slice of bread. The Best Way to Serve Bratwurst Bratwurst can be eaten as a sandwich with mustard, onions, and sauerkraut on the side or as a main course with German potato salad, sweet and sour cabbage, and sauerkraut.
Good German mustard is required for bratwurst. Serve as a snack, with mustard on a bread roll or alongside a pretzel. It’s usually served with a side of sauerkraut or potato salad as dinner. Weisswursts, which translates to “white sausage,” is named for the off-white tint they take on when cooked.
Why Is Bratwurst Popular in Germany?
For many Germans hundreds of years ago, bratwursts were a way of survival. During the brutal winter months, no meat scraps were allowed to waste, so they were collected, encased, and preserved as bratwurst sausages. From the 16th century forward, Frankfurters were fed at the coronations of the Holy Roman Emperors in Frankfurt.
An ox was grilled in the main square to commemorate the occasion, packed with local pig sausages. The sausages were a tremendous luxury because they were made of the best mincemeat. Bratwurst. It is a popular dish in Germany, with variations in each region. It’s no surprise that there are over 50 different types of bratwurst, each with its size, texture, and flavor.
Conclusion
Kutas’ classic Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing is one of the earliest complete works on the subject. It’s a straightforward, no-nonsense book jam-packed with recipes. Ruhlman’s Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing is another popular book. The current edition has been updated and edited. I have the prior edition, and while it contains mistakes and problems that the current edition claims to correct, I continue to hear complaints about it.
Regardless, it’s a fantastic book with some fantastic recipes. Olympia Provisions: Cured Meats and Tales from an American Charcuterie is a book that is both entertaining and inspiring. Elias Cairo, the author, is the creator of Olympia Provisions in Portland, Oregon, where he runs several restaurants and butcher shops. Several of his most popular recipes are included in this book.
