Sausage on the brain - Bratwurst


 
Rich G

Rich G

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I've been known to be obsessive about my hobbies, and I guess I'm in a sausage zone right now. Anyway, a few hours of work, spread out over three days, and I now have a nice pile of "classic" bratwurst chilling out in the fridge (these will be perfect for playoff football this weekend!) I used the Bratwurst recipe from Ruhlman's "Charcuterie", and this is the first time I've used egg and cream in a sausage. I spent quite a bit of time making sure that I mixed the sausage really well post-grinding this time, to develop the myosin properly. After grind, grind, grind; mix, mix, mix; and stuff, stuff, stuff (or, in a few cases, OVERstuff.....), I ended up with these beauties hanging in the fridge:

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(don't worry, the ones that burst were quickly pan sautéed for lunch, and to make sure they still tasted good!!) :)

I let the sausages chill out for about a day and a half or so, then popped them on the smoking rack in the 22"er @ 180 with cherry smoke until they were 150/155 degrees. Then into an ice bath, and, voila.....a beautiful stack of sausages!!

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I am saving these up for weekend consumption, but couldn't resist cooking up the small link that was left at the end of stuffing/linking.....wow, yummy! Extremely rich from the egg and cream, and I suspect that my use of a piece of belly didn't hurt the overall fat content (the rest of the pork was shoulder.....)

I may need to limit myself to making sausages once a month, or give a lot away. I'm going to get fat at this rate, as I can't stop eating them!! :)

Rich
 
Rich, those look delicious. I would also have to try at least one or two, just to be sure they were just right.;)
 
Those look great. Of course you have to taste test a few just to make sure everything is okay. One of my problems, to many hobbies not enough time to devote to all of them.
 
I'll send you my address Rich so you can send some of them my way!! Boy, they look great!!! I have Ruhlmans book, but haven't tried any of the recipies yet, I can see that I better give it a good look after seeing your "beauties".
 
Wow, those look outstanding! I've been dabbling with sausage myself, but I like to skip steps like the ice bath and drying. You're look way better than mine! Good work! I've got the book and I'll have to try that recipe.
 
Rich I'm sending you my address to help you out with the extras. Now this is something else I have to try. Man those look goof
 
Thanks, all! I have to say these are the best I've made yet. As I said, getting fat over here.....lunch today:

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R
 
Awesome job on those brats Rich. I also like to dabble in sausage and have Ruhlman's book. I'll definitely have to put that on the must try list.
 
I've said it before and I know I'll say it again, you make us left coasters proud Rich. Excellent Sausages
 
I'm looking forward to your sausage spread for the Super Bowl!

I would buy those brats if I could get 'em locally...
 
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