Bratwurst

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 12:41 am

Any suggestions where to get really good bratwurst in PK area? Have tried the Fennicawurst but didn't really like them. Looking for some real 'meaty' type à la 'Best Wisconsin' - even something similar to Johnsonville would be OK.

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Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:51 am

Have you tried the Lidl bratwurst (the long thin ones, about 15cm), they're made in Germany.

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:55 am

Actually yes - many times - they're not too bad - for me the best they have are the small Nurnberger - they have several types. I've also been through the German ones that Heino imports - not all that bad - but somehow they've found different Germans than brats I've had eg in München. Some kind of juicy 'meatiness' that stays in my memory. Might all be self-delusion and distorted nostalgia

irnbru · Post by **irnbru** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 8:31 am

There are no decent sausages in Finland despite sausages being one of the most popular foods here. After 10 plus years of trying to find them I make do with Lidl bratwurst and bring some back each time from trips home.

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:10 am

There are no decent sausages in Finland despite sausages being one of the most popular foods here. After 10 plus years of trying to find them I make do with Lidl bratwurst and bring some back each time from trips home.

Somewhat of a relief to get these 'negative' confirmations so to speak. I had somehow begun to question my taste and/or memory. I've been working on finding sausage here for 40+ years. I thought the game had been won with Fennica Wurst, but while edible, not worth the eating. I even got into the kitchens of Wotkins and made a try with the boss (decent guy but he had his 'makkara guru')

Even the importers seem to find German producers led by vegetarian refugees from god knows where.

Tasty, meaty Bratwurst would be great, breakfast sausage welcome (decent sausage to be found on McD's Sausage McMuffin - they get from DE), hot dogs à la Nathans/Hebrew Natl wonderful and would be too much probably to expect Italian sausage as available from carts in NY.

Oh well, maybe someday.

ps - Sometimes have found some 'good' siskonmakkara and been able to fry and make an Ersatz 'hot dog' with kraut, mustard, relish. Nothing like the real thing, but very edible if you get good SM. It's probably the condiments that 'ring the bell'

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:11 am

Cory wrote:
irnbru wrote:There are no decent sausages in Finland despite sausages being one of the most popular foods here. After 10 plus years of trying to find them I make do with Lidl bratwurst and bring some back each time from trips home.
Yup, I'm in agreement... nothing decent unless homemade. Everything is cooked prior to packaging here except the siskonmakkara, but that's hardly worth mentioning because it doesn't have any flavour aside from salt. Although alot of work, homemade can be made in bulk and frozen for later.

Yup, I'm in agreement...

Salt is BAD. Add seasonings and add spices, but NO salt.

Homemade is the way to go!

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:27 am

I also season quite heavily

What seasoning? Happen to recall any good brands of SM? I keep forgetting to write them down as don't do it that often (Wurst and Korpela seem to be ok - but don't recall them being the best - maybe there is some 'artisan' producer - forgiving the term 'artisan,' if you will, as often a deceiving term as with Primula's 'Artisan' bread)

flyingyellowpig · Post by **flyingyellowpig** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:27 pm

I don't know if its true but I heard Finnish sausages were even worst before they become part of EU. I also don't like them either. I've found very good sausages in a Polish shop at Hakaniemi Kauppatori.

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:14 pm

Actually they were fairly decent for the traditional Finnish type sausages during the 70's when there were still all kinds of small sausage makers that actually competed with each other on QUALITY. Then HK started to buy them all up and the end was universal crap.

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:46 am

frankb wrote:Actually they were fairly decent for the traditional Finnish type sausages during the 70's when there were still all kinds of small sausage makers that actually competed with each other on QUALITY. Then HK started to buy them all up and the end was universal crap.

Back to homemade... Buy meat, add spices, and then grind it in a hand-powered grinder while then stuffing the ground meat into sausage casings. Mmm! The best sausage!

Hand-powered meat grinders can be purchased with an attachment to hold sausage casings. Then get meat, get spices, get sausage casings and you are ready to go.

Kraut, mustard and relish is a great combination with sausages, but diced onion can substitute for the kraut, too. Mmm! Delicious!

An example of a hand-powered meat grinder/sausage stuffer: http://www.everythingkitchens.com/lem_1 ... r_058.html

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:26 am

Cory wrote:
frankb wrote:
I also season quite heavily
What seasoning?
What kind of sausage do you like? Depends on the mixture of spices you like.. could be garlic, onion, chili, oregano, mustard seed, paprika, fennel, nutmeg, sage, little sugar, salt, white pepper, black pepper... Don't mix all these together but pick and chose what appeals to your tongue. These kinds of seasonings (plus many more!) are mixed into the ground meat before the casings are stuffed but if you're not going to make your own sausage, add these seasonings to the pan along with the siskonmakkara and onions, sauerkraut, etc...

Yes, once you begin to make your own homemade sausages, you will then NEVER buy "store-made" sausages again! And they will taste "just" the way you want them to taste. Mmm!

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:26 am

And casings not totally necessary - can do with patties - and 'meatballs' (for pasta and 'heroes/wedgies/subs')

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:29 am

frankb wrote:And casings not totally necessary - can do with patties - and 'meatballs' (for pasta and 'heroes/wedgies/subs')

OK, but a hand-powered meat grinder, along with seasonings and spices, is your best option.

Do that, and then you will NEVER buy "store-made" meatballs, patties and sausages again!

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:56 am

Got some Wigren siskonmakkara - squeezed out of casings - and mixed some Pennzey's Bratwurst seasoning:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/ ... wurst.html

Put in fridge overnight - made patties the next day - came out very well - perhaps a bit more salt than would have wanted but was OK.

Will try this next -

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/ ... kfast.html

But will grind pork myself - I have the casing apparatus - but patties (also elongated for buns) good as well.

The Pennzey's pretty good - but of course can make own mixes to desire - the basic list from Pennzey's good to start off with - they do list all the stuff.

(http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/ ... nings.html)

frankb · Post by **frankb** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 9:04 am

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/77845 ... ood-friday

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