I thought I'd take a stab at making something both my wife & I really enjoy: smoked liverwurst ("Braunschweiger").
Most recipes I've come across use pork liver, pork jowls, other innards, etc—but I found that pork liver is next to impossible to get here. So I found a recipe that uses a combination of pork shoulder, lean beef & chicken livers that sounded appealing.
Cubed & well-chilled (near-frozen) meats...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_meats_lg.jpg)
After the grind, I'll add these ingredients...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_ingredients_lg.jpg)
Two fine grinds with a 3.0mm plate. The first...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_1stGrind_lg-1.jpg)
After near-freezing the first grind, time for the second time through the grinder... "Liver spaghetti" anyone?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_2ndGrind_lg.jpg)
Add the ingredients and do a thorough mixing. It definitely has a nice 'liverwurst' aroma...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_mixed_lg.jpg)
Once stuffed into casings, I poached all the chubs at 165° for about 90 minutes, until the IT hit the 150° mark. The chubs then got a quick –cool ice bath and I hung them overnight in the fridge.
No poaching pix as I was up to my elbows in bologna at the time... ;)
NEXT DAY: Into a warm smoker (110°) to dry for an hour before applying a heavy application of hickory smoke. I'll give the chubs about 3 hours of smoke with no additional heat. One hour into the smoke...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_smoke_lg.jpg)
Hang 'em overnight to get well-chilled in the fridge.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_finalhang_lg.jpg)
Tomorrow, we'll slice & sample...
More to come!
Kevin
How do deer and elk livers taste in liverwurst? I never end up eating the liver from game I shoot, so I give it away. But I like liverwurst, and am thinking of making some liverwurst next fall with the livers from my game.
Just awesome Kevin..great presentation...
Superb. That one I will try!
Sample time!
I was glad to see how nice & firm the braunschweiger turned out! It sliced beautifully into tender slices—NOT mushy!
Pleasing smokey taste with a subtle 'liver' flavor that even most 'liver haters' would enjoy...
My wife gave it a BIG thumbs-up. Put a dab of mustard with a slice on a cracker.
Very tasty! This ones' a keeper!!
If anyone is interested, I'll post the recipe.
Kevin
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_sliced_lg.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/LW_serve_lg.jpg)
Raises hand for the recipe. This I just gotta try.
Here's the recipe I used:
BRAUNSCHWEIGER
Makes seven pounds
US............Ingredient (Metric)
3 lb............Pork shoulder (1360 g)
2 lb. ..........Chicken liver (900 g)
1 lb............Beef chuck, lean (454 g)
¾ lb............Pork fat (340 g )
¾ cup.........NF Milk powder (58 g)
2 Tbs..........Kosher Salt (40 g)
7 tsp...........Onion powder (27 g)
2 tsp ..........Liquid smoke (hickory)(16 ml)
1 tsp...........Cure #1 (7.0 g)
1 pkg...........Gelatin (7.0 g)
2 tsp........... Pepper, white (5.0 g)
1 Tbs...........Marjoram, ground (4.0 g)
1 tsp...........Ginger, ground (2.0 g)
½ tsp...........Nutmeg, ground (1.5 g)
½ tsp...........Coriander, ground (1.0 g)
1. Remove any unwanted sinew, fat, etc from livers. Chill all meats to near-frozen.
2. Grind near-frozen liver, pork, beef, pork fat through 3.0mm FINE plate.
3. Put ground meat back in freezer to near-frozen state again. Then grind again a second time through the fine plate.
4. Add the ground meats to the other ingredients (except for gelatin). Dry ingredients can be mixed into 6-8 oz cold water.
5. Mix thoroughly until a sticky, uniform paste is formed (7-10 minutes).
6. Dissolve the gelatin in ¼ cup of cold water. Pour it into the meat paste & thoroughly mix until the liquid has been absorbed.
7. Stuff into artificial casings.
8. Poach in 165°F water bath until an IT of 150°F is reached—(60-90 min.; depending on size of chubs)
9. Chill rapidly in ice bath.
10. Allow sausages to air dry completely—2-3 hours. OR hang in smoker (no smoke!) @ 100-110° for an hour os so until casings are dry to the touch.
11. Apply heavy hickory smoke for 3-4 hours. No heat.
12. Chill overnight before slicing & serving.
Niiice! I'll have to give that a try.
Love my BRAUNSCHWEIGER!!! I made a batch not long back and really liked it. I'll have to try this also. The reason pork liver is rare is because of a disease that affects the liver. Even when they pick good ones out you usually need to sign a release. I subbed calf liver to it and it's great also. Lots of taste not overpowering or off taste.
Gonna have to try this one Kevin. I have been known to hurt myself with a sleeve of crackers and a pound of Braunsweiger
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on April 17, 2012, 07:53:18 PM
Gonna have to try this one Kevin. I have been known to hurt myself with a sleeve of crackers and a pound of Braunsweiger
I was really pleased at the way this batch turned out. I could eat braunschweiger ("Farmer John's Brand) before, but it wasnt really very memorable, and the texture I found a bit off-putting. But this recipe I like a bunch. The texture is much firmer yet still very tender to the bite— not mushy or like 'paste'—but rich tasting with plenty of hickory.
10.5—if you're a fan of the stuff already, you'll probably enjoy this version!
Kevin
great job Kevin.......is on the to do list....thanks for the recipe...and as far as braunschweiger goes you could smear it on the bumper of a car or the soles of your shoes and lick it off, it would still taste good !!.. good job.
Excellent job again Kevin. You're leading the pack with recipes I've made and want to try! ;D
Quote from: Kevin A on April 17, 2012, 11:12:30 PM
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on April 17, 2012, 07:53:18 PM
Gonna have to try this one Kevin. I have been known to hurt myself with a sleeve of crackers and a pound of Braunsweiger
I was really pleased at the way this batch turned out. I could eat braunschweiger ("Farmer John's Brand) before, but it wasnt really very memorable, and the texture I found a bit off-putting. But this recipe I like a bunch. The texture is much firmer yet still very tender to the bite— not mushy or like 'paste'—but rich tasting with plenty of hickory.
10.5—if you're a fan of the stuff already, you'll probably enjoy this version!
Kevin
Is it more of a firm braunschweiger or is it spreadable?
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on April 18, 2012, 10:31:20 AMIs it more of a firm braunschweiger or is it spreadable?
Tender & firm; not really spreadable, but if you supply enough force, you can mush it up into spread. ;)
In the 'cracker' photo above, you can see where I broke off a small hunk.
Kevin
As long as the flavor is there I'm good
I'll pass on this for sure, I hate braunschweiger! Unlike my dad who love the stuff but he also eat all kinds of guts from animals. I bet he would like it.