Does anyone have a recipe for Brat Seasoning, to make my own fresh? I am tired of buying a pre-packaged mix. I would like to get some sore of starting point and I will experiment from there. I am looking for a flavor of a good ol Wisconsin brat, usually served with kraut.
Thanks,
Making your own is good but Penzy's makes a real good pre-made Brat seasoning. Use as directed, and don't add any salt. The mix has just the right amount of salt. Of cure if you are going to smoke them you will need to add Cur #1; 1/4 tsp per pound for small amounts, 1 tsp per five pounds for larger amounts.
Bratwurst Sausage Seasoning (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysbratwurst.html)
I have to admit I buy mine as a mix as well from Fareway. Can't buy the spices and seasoning for $3.99 like I can the mix and it does 25lbs or roughly 117 Brats. I just add to it. (Motzyrella Cheese and Beer)
Looks like I have a Penzy's retail store about 10 miles from me. I will stop after work tomorrow and pick some up. Thanks for the suggestions guys.
This is for 10 lbs
7 lbs of lean meat pork or beef
1 1/2 lbs pork fat
1 1/2 lbs pork butt
4 T salt
3 T sugar
4 T fresh parsley (chopped)
2 whole eggs
1 1/4 t white pepper
1 1/4 t black pepper
1 t nutmeg
1 t mace
1 t ginger
1 cup cold distilled water
2 cups whey or non-fat dry milk
32-36mm hog casings (opt)
Grind all meats together with med plate. Mix dry ingredients (and eggs) with water and mix well into meat. Stuff into links about 6" long or make into patties. Cook as usual. Can be frozen for 6 months.
Enjoy
nepas
My mix for Fresh Brats is pretty close to Nepas's. Only difference is I use an extra egg (3 total), don't use any water or powdered milk (I use ice cold whole milk instead), and my meat mix is 2 lbs. boneless veal, 5 lbs, fresh pork shoulder and 3 lbs. lean pork trimmings. I also use a soy powder just to bind.
There's probably 100 recipes out there for Brats fresh and smoked, just have to find one that suits your personal taste.
Thanks guys, I picked up some from Penzeys today. I will give that a try on a small batch and I will also give the other two a try on a small batch and see what I like. thanks again.
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on May 12, 2009, 07:43:25 AM
This is for 10 lbs
7 lbs of lean meat pork or beef
1 1/2 lbs pork fat
1 1/2 lbs pork butt
4 T salt
3 T sugar
4 T fresh parsley (chopped)
2 whole eggs
1 1/4 t white pepper
1 1/4 t black pepper
1 t nutmeg
1 t mace
1 t ginger
1 cup cold distilled water
2 cups whey or non-fat dry milk
32-36mm hog casings (opt)
Grind all meats together with med plate. Mix dry ingredients (and eggs) with water and mix well into meat. Stuff into links about 6" long or make into patties. Cook as usual. Can be frozen for 6 months.
Enjoy
nepas
Thanks for posting this recipe Rick,
I was just about to post the same question about Brats when I saw this thread.
Could I use this recipe for venison, too?
My venison is ground with 15% beef suet so I wonder if I would have to add any more fat for texture and flavoring?
I love the venison Brats they have at Cabela's cafeteria.
Carolyn
Quote from: Caribou on May 20, 2009, 04:57:00 AM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on May 12, 2009, 07:43:25 AM
This is for 10 lbs
7 lbs of lean meat pork or beef
1 1/2 lbs pork fat
1 1/2 lbs pork butt
4 T salt
3 T sugar
4 T fresh parsley (chopped)
2 whole eggs
1 1/4 t white pepper
1 1/4 t black pepper
1 t nutmeg
1 t mace
1 t ginger
1 cup cold distilled water
2 cups whey or non-fat dry milk
32-36mm hog casings (opt)
Grind all meats together with med plate. Mix dry ingredients (and eggs) with water and mix well into meat. Stuff into links about 6" long or make into patties. Cook as usual. Can be frozen for 6 months.
Enjoy
nepas
Thanks for posting this recipe Rick,
I was just about to post the same question about Brats when I saw this thread.
Could I use this recipe for venison, too?
My venison is ground with 15% beef suet so I wonder if I would have to add any more fat for texture and flavoring?
I love the venison Brats they have at Cabela's cafeteria.
Carolyn
I dont see why you couldnt use venison, as long as the fat to meat ratio is right so they wont be so dry.
nepas
Thanks Rick! :)
Carolyn
Carolyn,
After many attempts at Venison Brats I have settled in at about a 60/40 ground pork to venison mixture. In order to keep my brats moist. Also watch when you grill them as well it doesn't take long to end up with something looking dried out and from the Doggie Pix thread!!!
Thanks 10.5,
Will do!
Would possibly adding bread crumbs help with the moisture retention?
Carolyn
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on May 20, 2009, 12:44:25 PM
Carolyn,
After many attempts at Venison Brats I have settled in at about a 60/40 ground pork to venison mixture. In order to keep my brats moist. Also watch when you grill them as well it doesn't take long to end up with something looking dried out and from the Doggie Pix thread!!!
Hey 10.5 you use 60% pork to 40% venison? I use about 70% venison to 30% pork, but when I cook my brats on the charcoal weber (no other way to cook brats IMO) I only put coals on about 1/2 of the grill. I place the brats on the high heat side until I get the color I want on both sides then move to the indirect side to finish them off. I like a little more venison taste in my venison brats, and cooking them that way I never end up with a dried out brat.
Hi all when i do brats or summer or any other sausage I use 60% deer / 40% pork butt with no filler and turns out moist for me.
Like smoketail said I seer directly over the heat then finish cooking with indirect heat.
Does anyone ever boil them and then brown their brats on the grill?
Or would that ruin em somehow?
I've already got ground venison and ground pork defrosting so I can make 5 pounds of these this weekend.
Can't wait!
Carolyn
Quote from: Caribou on May 21, 2009, 04:39:27 PM
Does anyone ever boil them and then brown their brats on the grill?
Or would that ruin em somehow?
I've already got ground venison and ground pork defrosting so I can make 5 pounds of these this weekend.
Can't wait!
Carolyn
Boiling Brats is like boiling Ribs in my world Strictly TABOO!!!!! Now after you brown them on the grill if you want to simmer them in some beer and onions maybe a splash of Dales sauce that's completely exceptable. Boiling them will fat them out in my opinion and leave you with a dry brat. A 5 lb batch should equal about 15-17 Brats Carolyn.
That's good to know..boiling bad!
That will keep us supplied for a while.
Do I need to freeze them before I vacuum seal them?
Are they apt to get squished if I don't?
Carolyn
That's up to you if you want to freeze before vac sealing. I usually just cut, bag , and vac seal so a little squeezes out the end no biggy. But if your doing the for show thing like for relatives then yea flash freeze and then vac seal. I had to laugh a little that would be two meals here.
Yeah two meals would be about right here also.
I have found that if I just cut my bags a little bit longer than I need I don't get the "squeeze". I only use bulk roll vac seal, as it is much cheaper. I use it quite a bit. 10.5 is right on with the no boil on the Brats.
Throw just about anything you want into a pan with beer and onion after browning, and you got a crowd pleaser!. I use a Cajun brat recipe I think I got from len poli's sight.
Beer brats is one of my favorite ways to cook them.
12 Brats
1-2 onions sliced
4-6 Tbs butter
sauerkraut
In a 5qt sauce pan or dutch oven, melt butter. Add 1 to 2 onions sliced onions and cook at medium high heat, stirring often until they are caramelized.
Next add brats, and enough beer to cover the brats. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until the brats are done. Remove brats raise heat to medium high and cook until liquid is reduce and becomes syrupy like.
Brown brats on the grill, and return to onion/beer mixture. Toss them until completely covered with onions. Keep warm and serve with some onions and sauerkraut.
Habs nailed this one! Beer brats are awesome, gonna make some this weekend!
C
What Habs said.
Sounds really good!
Yeah, sometimes I find it a waste of vac seal bags when I seal something that the family really loves.
I smoked up 5lbs of Nepas' fantastic snack sticks last weekend and we've already opened a vac bag of them from the freezer after going through the ones I left in the frig.
Carolyn
When I do something that's going fast I just wrap in freezer paper and save the vacume bags for the longer storage.
As far as vacume sealing fresh sausage I havent had a problem with any thing pushing out or flatting out, when I do sausage I use the 8" roll of bags.
This is how I like to cook Brats.
Two teaspoons olive oil or butter, divided
One sweet onion, sliced into 1/4" rings
6 Brats or your favorite sausage
Half can of BEER
Heat one tea olive oil or butter in a large skillet. Brown sausages until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
To the drippings add the remaining oil or butter and the onion rings. Toss the rings to coat. Cook, stirring often until the onions are limp and golden but not brown.
Return the sausage to the onions and add the BEER. Cook over medium heat until the BEER has cooked down to a syrup, about 15 min.
Enjoy.
OU812...wasn't that a Van Halen album?
Thanks for posting that beer/brat cookin' recipe.
Gonna have to try it,
Caroly
Quote from: Caribou on May 22, 2009, 11:35:42 AM
OU812...wasn't that a Van Halen album?
Yes it is although there earlier ones were better this one is just fitting
I made my Brats today using Nepas' recipe posted in this thread.
5lb of them made from 3lbs ground venison and 2lbs ground pork.
I did my best first attempt at linking them though a little lacking on quality control!
Cooked a little patty for a taste test and they were great!
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_6144.jpg)
Also, cooked up a strawberry-rhubarb pie to go with our Brat dinner.
Carolyn
That's a beautiful batch of Brats Deb! hope they grill up as good as they look!
I have to give kudos to Nepas for this great recipe.
Since we were doing hotdogs for our 6 year old on the grill last night I grilled up some of the brats, too.
Did indirect heat like 10.5 recommended for 8 mins on each side and they turned out perfect.
Fully cooked but incredibly juicy, what a treat.
Going to try the beer-cooking method next time I cook them.
Carolyn
Carolyn,
Did you use your new stuffer?
Deb
Quote from: deb415611 on May 24, 2009, 09:13:29 AM
Carolyn,
Did you use your new stuffer?
Deb
Yes Deb!
It was wonderful! I stuffed the 5lbs into two 5ft lengths of hog casings in just a few minutes and I did it all by myself.
This thing is gonna change my life! :D :D
Carolyn