Fresh Bratwurst
Fresh Bratwurst is a simple but delicious farmer's sausage that is very
popular all through the Midwest, especially in Shebogyan, Wisconsin, the
country's bratwurst capital. Try first poaching the tasty sausages in beer
and then panfrying or grilling them. Use brats in any recipe calling for
sauerkraut or in any stuffing.
Helpful Hints:
Sausage Links, Making
2 1/2 pounds lean pork butt
1/2 pound fat trimmed from pork butt and/or back fat
1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard, preferably Colman's
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
1/4 cup milk
2 cups ground raw potatoes soaked in lemon water (optional)
To make the sausage using a food processor: Cut the pork butt and fat into
3/4-to-1-inch pieces. Spread the cubed meat and fat on a plate and place
it in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up the meat and make it easier to
chop. Put the food processor bowl and blade in the freezer as well for the
same amount of time. Set up the food processor and add just enough meat to
cover the blade (about 1 pound). Pulse to form chunks about 3/8 inch in
size. Put the chopped meat into a large bowl and refrigerate. Repeat the
process for each batch of meat, adding the chopped meat to the bowl and
keeping it cold. Finally, process the fat into smaller pieces, about 1/4
inch, and mix it with the meat. Add all the other ingredients, including
any or all of the optional ones, to the meat and fat. Mix everything
together with your hands, squeezing and kneading to blend the mixture
well. Do not overmix, however, to the point where the fat begins to melt.
The point of this kneading is just to get all the ingredients well
distributed. Make a small patty of the sausage meat and fry it in a small
pan over medium heat. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and sugar as
necessary; if you added onions and/or rice, you'll probably need to add
more of all three.
To make the sausage in a meat grinder: You can use a hand-cranked or
electric meat grinder to make sausage. (The grinder attachment to the
KitchenAid mixer works very well.) You need to have the type of grinder
with interchangeable plates with varying hole sizes. Chill the meat in the
freezer as above before cutting up the meat and fat separately. You can
cut the meat into strips rather than cubes to save a little time, but
either will do. Chill the strips or cubes on a plate in the freezer for 10
minutes. Using a 3/8-inch plate, grind the lean strips of meat and place
the ground meat in a large bowl in the refrigerator. Change to a 1/4-inch
grinder plate and grind the fat. Combine the meat, fat, and remaining
ingredients and mix and knead as described above. Fry a small patty and
adjust the salt, pepper, and sugar as necessary. At this point, the
sausage is ready to use, although its flavors will mellow and improve if
allowed to rest for a day in the refrigerator in a bowl covered with
plastic wrap. The sausage will keep 2 to 3 days. Or you can wrap it in
plastic wrap or foil in 1/2-pound packages and freeze it for up to 3
months. You can also stuff the mixture into sausage casings.
NOTE: You can lower the fat content by adding the optional raw potato, but
be sure to fry a patty to taste for salt and other seasoning.
Serving size = 4 oz
Makes about 4 pounds, serves 16
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