How To Make Bratwurst
Meat Block
25lb Pork that is 70/30 Lean to Fat ratio
If using Venison or any other lean wild game use 18 lb of lean and 7 lb of pork fat. Pork fat has a creaminess that other fat (including beef) cannot match, is nice and bright white in color, and has very little flavor on its own, making it the perfect choice for all kinds of sausage.
Additives
1 package Excalibur Sausage Seasoning
2 to 3 lb High Temperature Cheese (optional)
30mm Fresh Collagen Casings or 32/35mm Natural Hog Casings
16oz (1 pint) Ice Cold Water (optional, to help make stuffing and seasoning dispersion easier)
Casings
You can use Fresh Collagen, Home Pack Hog Casings, or Tubed Hog Casings each has their advantages and disadvantages. For collagen, they are the easiest to use, simply take them out of the package, slide them on the tube and they are ready to be used. The disadvantage is that they will not accept a twist, meaning that after you link them they will come unwound when you cut between the links. For Natural Home Packs these will hold a twist and are inexpensive but they require you to rinse the casing, flush them and then soak them for 30 minutes in hot water before use. Tubed Hog Casings are our choice as they are pre-flushed, meaning they only need to be rinsed and then soaked before use. They are also easier to load onto the stuffing tube and they are going to be the highest quality runs of intestine, meaning the longest runs and the least amount of defects.
Grinding
We want to have some large particles in our Bratwurst so we are going to use a larger plate for grinding than we would for a cured sausage. So, grind twice, first through a 3/8" Plate and then through a 3/16" Plate. Or you can use the Walton’s One Shot with your Walton’s #12, 22, or 32 Grinder and put a 3/16th plate on and grind just once.
Meat Mixing
You can choose to either hand mix or use a meat mixer. Either method will be fine as we are just mixing long enough to get good dispersion of seasoning, and we don’t want to get protein extraction (where the meat is sticky) like when making a cured sausage. You can also choose to add your seasoning directly to any water you are using to make seasoning dispersal even easier. Cheese can be added at the beginning of mixing to make sure it is evenly distributed throughout the sausage.
Sausage Stuffing
Simply load your sausage stuffer, using the largest stuffing tube the casings you are using will fit over, while avoiding creating any air pockets in the canister, and begin to stuff in the casing until the casings are full with a smooth exterior. Stuff into as long of ropes as you can, and then cut them to length or twist the link once done.
If you used natural casings you are better off understuffing them as these types of casings are slightly more prone to blow-outs and you can always tighten them up in the linking process by twisting them a few more times.
Cooking
If you are cooking these on a grill cook them over medium heat (around 325-375°F) until the internal temperature is 160°
If you are cooking in an oven bake at 350° until the internal temperature is 160°
Wrap up
Fresh sausage is one of the quickest and easiest meat snacks to begin making at home. All you need is the seasoning, ground meat, and a sausage stuffer to get started. Over time you can add additional equipment, supplies, and products to make things easier, or expand your process by purchasing a meat grinder to grind your own meat.
Other Notes
Add 1 pint (16oz) of water per 25lb of meat to help make sausage stuffing easier, and to help make mixing easier and quicker for dispersing seasoning evenly throughout the meat mixture.
What Is Fresh Sausage?
Fresh sausage can include sausages like bratwursts, Italian-style sausage, chorizo, breakfast sausage, and other related sausages. They can be packaged into collagen casings, natural hog casings, natural sheep casings, or even in bulk by using meat bags.
Watch Waltons: How to Make Bratwurst
