Bratwurst
The German grilling sausage par excellence has declined into dozens of regional variants, several of which are protected by PGIs. A regulation of the city of Nuremberg already fixed the composition of local sausages in 1313.
| Lean pork shoulder | 700 g |
| Pork belly (fat) | 300 g |
| Fine salt | 18 g |
| Ground white pepper | 3 g |
| Grated nutmeg | 2 g |
| Ground ginger | 1 g |
| Dried marjoram | 1 g |
| Iced water | 60 ml |
| Hog casing (Ø 28–32 mm) | — |
- Preparation: Cut the meats into cubes, then chill to −2 °C.
- Mincing: Mince through the 4 to 6 mm plate. The fine texture is characteristic of most bratwursts.
- Seasoning: Mix all the spices with the iced water. Add into the meat, then knead vigorously until the forcemeat is sticky and well emulsified.
- Resting: Refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
- Stuffing: Stuff into the casings, forming sausages of 15 to 20 cm.
- Resting before cooking: Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
- Cooking: Grill over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning regularly. Do not prick. Serve in a small bread roll (brötchen) with mustard.
The name bratwurst combines braten (to grill) and wurst (sausage). More than forty regional varieties are officially recorded in Germany, each with its own ingredients, proportions and rules. Among the best-known: the Nürnberger, small and flavoured with marjoram; the Thüringer, longer, scented with garlic and caraway; the Coburger, traditionally grilled over dried pine cones, which lend it a resinous, smoky taste.
The oldest written mention of a Germanic grilling sausage appears in a regulation of the Nuremberg council of 1313, which directly concerns the ancestor of the Nürnberger rather than a generic bratwurst.
The standard bratwurst sits technically between a fine-emulsion sausage, such as the Frankfurter, and a coarse-minced sausage, such as the saucisse de Toulouse. The grain of the forcemeat leaves pieces of meat perceptible in the mouth. Working at a very low temperature is critical: if the fat softens during mincing, it does not bind properly to the meat, and the sausage releases juice during cooking. The iced water added during kneading lowers the temperature of the forcemeat and helps extract the proteins that ensure the bind.
The regional variants are governed by PGIs or local specifications. The Nürnberger rostbratwurst and the Thüringer rostbratwurst hold a European PGI. The Coburger bratwurst and the Fränkische bratwurst are governed by regional regulations. These protections were obtained against a backdrop of conflicts between producers from different regions who used the same name.
The bratwurst is eaten in every setting of German social life, from Christmas markets to football stadiums. It is served in a split bread roll (brötchen) with mustard, or on a plate with sauerkraut and potatoes. Fair and market records mention it as a street food from the seventeenth century.
The German emigration of the nineteenth century transplanted the bratwurst to every continent. In the United States, it took root in the Midwest, where the Germanic communities of Wisconsin and Minnesota folded it into the culture of the tailgate (the popular pre-match party) and the barbecue. In Australia and South Africa, German communities developed local traditions that evolved autonomously.
The book
All 144 recipes and their histories, gathered in a single volume.