Swiss Brats On Steroids

[reinhard]

Steroids with cheese  that is.  I made 25 pounds of brats that is half with high temp Swiss cheese and half without.  Dont go on the grill much now so I added cure and was going to smoke them but time and temperature outside convinced me to use the oven.  I bought 2 pounds of High temp Swiss cheese for roughly 12 pounds or so of brat mix.  So I dumped the whole works in the mix.

I used Curley's Swiss Brats seasoning for fresh sausage.  Didn't get around to making it earlier in the year so like I said, I added cure #1 to it.  Here is what I used:

One pack of Curley's Swiss Brat [Fresh] seasoning [Enough for 25 pounds]

5  cups of dry powdered milk

3 spoons of diced garlic [I add garlic to just about any sausage]

5  1/2  cups of cold water

5  tsp cure #1  or one ounce

16 pounds of pork butt

9 pounds of 80/20 ground beef

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

I just ground the pork butt and the ground beef once through the medium plate.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

Sprinkled the powdered milk over the meat after grinding.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

Mixed the seasoning, garlic, and cure in the water well.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

Then dumped the water with the ingredients and cure over the mix.  Then mixed everything well.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

I divided the 25 pounds of mix roughly in half.  One half I left as is and this half got the 2 pounds of Swiss cheese.  Mixed the cheese in the brat mix.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

I put both luggers of brat mix in the fridge overnight.  Here is the mix with the cheese the next day for stuffing.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

You can see the cheese in the links.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

More links ready to go on my jerky rack and into the oven at 225 deg until the internal around 150 deg.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

Links are done and ready for a water bath.

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• reinhard
• Dec 4, 2014

Here is the money shot.  Plenty of cheese in every bite!!!  Pretty tasty!!  Reinhard

 

[red dog]

Good thing dinner is almost ready! Your photos make me want to lick my monitor.

 

[themule69]

MY T FINE looking brats. Very nicely done.

Happy smoken.

David

 

[bad santa]

 I like ! Nice looking brats, which got the nod? Cheese or no cheese ? Both batches look exceptionally good, thanks for sharing.

 

[boykjo]

Looks nice and tasty....................

   I'm out of cheese too....

 

[DanMcG]

They look nice and juicy, I could go for a couple of them.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[reinhard]

Thanks everyone!!  Bad Santa,  I guess the Swiss cheese got the nod from the grandkids, but we like both.  I'm sure I have to make these again and the high temp cheese will be on the shopping list.  I get it from a butcher at the Cub store here.  They have a big service counter so they make their own sausage right there.  I pay 3.99 lb for the high temp cheese.  I know they have Swiss and Cheddar.  I've got to ask them if they have high temp pepper jack.  The brats had a nice texture and are real tasty.  I had foil on the bottom of the oven and only noticed two drops the size of a dime after all said and done.  Reinhard

 

[fished]

Reinhard

Those sure do look good.  My wife doesn't normally like brat worst.  She may like your.  I'll have to give them a try.  First I have to get some high temp swiss.

Thanks 

Ed

 

[chef willie]

Well done, sir. I think this is the first time I've seen Brats finished in the oven. And then a hot water bath to hit 165? or was the 150 it? just curious if completely finished or not. I'm due for some Brats again...almost out of all sausage here. Safeway just put butts on sale for 1.69#. Great price on the hi-temp..damn. I just paid $9 for hi temp Pepper Jack. They look nice and moist...I'll take a no cheese one loaded with Kraut, please......what's your take on the seasoning blends??.......I have yet to try anything commercially prepared......Willie

 

[driedstick]

Dang it Reinhard that looks great very nice job and nice post. Boy I bet them would have been tasty cold smoked first, but either way they look dang nab it goooooood

DS 

 

[reinhard]

Ya, Driedstick, I thought about that.  I thought I had the time and I planned for it, but we got the grandkids to take care of that wasn't in the plan so the oven comes in handy.  Last year we has weeks of temps below 10 below with some temps near 30 below so the oven was used a good share of the  time.  Reinhard

 

[bear55]

Looks tasty, real tasty.

 

[reinhard]

Chef, It was the oven at 225 the whole time until the internal of around 150 and then a cold bath.  Put the brats on a metal jerky rack.  As I said before,  the oven does a nice job.  A cold smoke would be good prior to the oven but I didn't have the time as I said above.  As far a commercial blends I started using Curley's  stuff awhile back and have been very pleased with it.  They make great sausage blends.  That's where I got this Swiss brat seasoning.  I added stuff to it as you can see above but I do that with all sausage I make.  The powdered milk is the key in the texture and moisture.  Only lost two drops of moisture in the entire 25 pounds.  As you can tell I'm a believer in powdered milk.  Once you find a commercial blend you like that can be your base to a great tasting sausage which you can add to your taste.  Reinhard

 

[crazymoon]

Nice job , they look great !

 

[driedstick]

Reinhard, I forgot to ask how did you do at deer camp?? Any luck?? 

 

[reinhard]

Thanks CrazyMoon!!  Driedstick,  Our whole party got skunked this year.  This year it was bucks only, and where we hunt in northern Minnesota the bad last two winters and the wolves put the hurt on the deer population.  We have hunted there since the 60's and had good years and not so good.  It's public land and we have hunted the same spot all this time.  Nobody has bothered us over the years.  We ate good though LOL.  Here are some pics---

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• reinhard
• Dec 5, 2014

Our redneck toilet came along and worked fine.  Put a big hole in the center of a chair and the rest is history.

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• reinhard
• Dec 5, 2014

Had a selection of beers along that didn't need to be in the cooler.

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• reinhard
• Dec 5, 2014

A view from my stand looking toward a ceder swamp.  Shot a few deer out of this stand.

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• reinhard
• Dec 5, 2014

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• reinhard
• Dec 5, 2014

Had a few fires both day and night.  Love to sit around the fire and tell lies, I mean stories.  Great to be with friends and family.  Best part of the trip.  Deer are a bonus.  Cant wait till next year.

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• reinhard
• Dec 5, 2014

Had to leave one day early.  We heard of a storm coming and this time they were right.  Took us 8 hours to go home from what usually takes us 3 1/2 hours.  Four wheel drive all the way.  By the time we drove up my driveway there was over a foot of unplowed snow.  First responders and tow trucks all the way home. That's a major highway there, 35W going south from Duluth Minnesota. Always an adventure, and most of all, great memories.  Reinhard

 

[charcoal junkie]

Great looking brats :drool. My inlaws and me have a hunting cabin in Lake Bronson MN where abouts do u hunt Reinhard.

 

[reinhard]

Thanks charcoal junkie!!  We hunt about 50 miles north of Duluth near Brimson Minnesota.  Used to live in Duluth.  Love that area.  Reinhard

 

[disco]

Sorry to be late to the party but your brats look stunning.

Disco