Bratwurst aficionados question

[indaswamp]

Great read zwiller! Thanks for the link!

 

[SmokinEdge]

And balance is why there is so many variations from area to area and even family to family. Personal taste
I'm still working on a brat recipe that meets my wife's taste buds.
I have pork breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean Clone) pretty well nailed for us, but our daughter does not like it as she doesn't care for ginger forward taste that many consider the Jimmy Dean trademark.
Made a batch over the weekend and well I had a gin influenced brain fart and I used 1/10 the normal ginger. Wife didn't notice and I didn't either. Daughter will be here in a month to run it past her.
I also notice that any sausage tastes a lot different depending on the source of your meat or meats. I also make breakfast sausage with about 50% venison in the JD recipe. Wife loves it, but there is something just missing for me.

Sorry for the sidebar, but I felt it is relevant to the bratwurst theme, too.

Agree, and really appreciate your in put. Was really the spear head of my post to get opinions just like yours. Thank you.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Lots of good info and recipes posted are pretty much on point. Might be a little busy technically (too many spices) but otherwise fine. Totally agree mild (less is more) and balanced is the way. IMO take it easy on the top note stuff like the mace/nutmeg/cardamom. While I do agree sausage in Germany is all over the place, there are definitely regional patterns you can follow.
https://www.tastingtable.com/1277974/regional-varieties-german-bratwurst-explained/

Thank you zwiller, I agree and appreciate your feed back. Thanks for the link as well.

 

[thirdeye]

Spices done sparingly usually yield the best results .......... especially when they play off each other as an end result.

So once again we return to the old saying.... "sometimes less is more better".

I have pork breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean Clone) pretty well nailed for us

I came up with a clone that I call Country Singer Sausage and it's designed for bagging and making plain fatties. It's only 1% salt because fatties get seasoned with BBQ rub. Care to share your recipe, I'd like to compare ingredients?

Per one pound of ground pork butt:
1 tsp Morton Kosher salt (this is 1% salt)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp sage
1/8 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp dried parsley
Icy water as needed
Mix well and stuff into 1# plastic sausage bags.

 

[tallbm]

So I’m playing with German sausage now. It’s way outside my flavor profile but I’ve had some that is very good. I have a very good Weisswurst recipe and make it a few times a year, it’s a nice flavor brake from the normal. Now I’m playing with a fresh brat recipe that I just made up, it follows along most of the recipes I’ve seen so no surprises spice wise. It’s good but just kind of flat flavor wise, I like the fact that nothing smacks you in the face and the profile of spice seems to be there but one spice needs to be increased or maybe even added. Something is missing. So to all you German bratwurst magicians out there critique my recipe with additions or increases would be much appreciated.

Bratwurst:
Per 1Kg ground pork. (80/20 butt grind)

Salt) 1.5%

Cardamom) 1g

White pepper) 1g

Black pepper) 1g

Coriander) 1g

Mace) .5g

Ginger) 1g

Grind 3/4 the meat through 1/4” plate then grind rest of meat through 1/8” plate.

What am I missing for a really great Bratwurst? Thanks in advance for replies.

I'm curious to see where you land with your final recipe and flavors.

I was never ever wow'ed by Brats in all my lifetime, and I tried and tried many from many different places (states, restaurants, brands at the store, etc.).
Then I had the best Brat's by 10 miles i'd ever eaten... I made them using the Lem's backwoods fresh Brat seasoning that came with my Lem 5lb stuffer kit.
I dialied in the amount by weight and game over, never had to try another Brat again since this one demolished all other brats I ever tasted :D

I'd be curious to see what you think of the Lem Brat seasoning :D
FYI, their seasoning makes the best cured pork Franks I've ever had as well :D

 

[Fueling Around]

I started the hijack Eric. Sorry, but sausage is sausage when get to passing the spice jug?

...
I came up with a clone that I call Country Singer Sausage and it's designed for bagging and making plain fatties. It's only 1% salt because fatties get seasoned with BBQ rub. Care to share your recipe, I'd like to compare ingredients?
...

Thanks, I think garlic and coriander are what's missing when I blend in Venison.

Basic pork breakfast sausage
Salt 0.5%
Fresh ground mixed peppercorn pepper 0.25%
Sage 0.25%
Thyme 0.12%
Nutmeg 0.13%
Red pepper flakes 0.30%
Ginger 0.5%
MSG 0.1%
Potato starch 2.0%
Cold water 10-15%

 

[SmokinEdge]

I started the hijack Eric. Sorry, but sausage is sausage when get to passing the spice jug?

Not bothering me a bit. All sausage information is good information.