In our corner of the world, sausage isn’t just a food. It’s part of our cultural inheritance. Here’s a mix of facts and handy bits about these marvelous meats.
Meaty History
The folks who brought the art of sausage-making to Milwaukee are some of our earliest immigrants. They came from cultures with deep tube-meat-making traditions (think, Germany, Poland and Hungary). But sausage-making goes back thousands of years. It began as a way of preserving food – pretty important when you don’t have refrigeration. Here in Milwaukee, Usinger’s is a household name, around since 1880. Founder Fred Usinger was an apprentice sausage maker in Germany and brought those old-world recipes here. Today, some say sausage-making is a dying art, but this meat manifestation continues to be a key component of Wisconsin food culture, proudly made by artisans (few as they may be) carrying on the craft.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Ground and Stuffed
This is, quite literally, how the sausage is made. It starts with grinding the meat (pork, beef, lamb, chicken, etc.) and mixing it with the seasonings and/or other additions. It’s then ground again for even distribution. Next comes the interesting part: the meat mixture is stuffed inside a casing, which can be natural or manufactured. Natural casings are made from animal intestines. Synthetic casings come from collagen, cellulose or plastic and are not always edible. Natural casings are what produce that snap when you bite into a good sausage.
Know Your Sausage
What makes a brat a brat, or a hot dog different from a frankfurter? Here’s a primer on this and other popular sausages.
Polish kielbasa (or Polska kielbasa): A pork sausage whose signature flavor comes from garlic. Kielbasa can be fresh, smoked or cured.
Bockwurst: A traditional German link made from pork and veal usually seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika and lemon zest.
Chorizo: The Mexican variety is made of fresh ground pork seasoned with chiles and vinegar. Spanish chorizo is typically smoked pork that gets its color and flavor from pimentos.
Italian: A pork sausage seasoned with fennel or anise
Hot dog: Tricky, this one. Technically it is a type of wiener (from the German word for Vienna sausage) and can be from pork, beef or a combination of meats. Spices can include paprika, nutmeg, garlic and coriander. By contrast, a German frankfurter is made from pork. And then there are all-beef franks, too.
Knackwurst: AKA knockwurst. Short, plump pork and veal (and sometimes beef) sausages with a strong garlic flavor. “Knack” is German for “snap.”
Andouille: Brought to Louisiana by French immigrants, it was traditionally made from the internal organs of pigs. Now it uses more conventional pork parts, and is known for its spiciness, courtesy of hot pepper.
Bratwurst: The German classic is typically made from pork and seasoned with pepper, nutmeg or coriander, and a citrus like lemon zest.
Where to Shop
Find house-made sausages of all kinds.
Bunzel’s
9015 W. BURLEIGH ST. | 414-873-7960
Pork brats and beef brats, Italians, Grecian lamb sausage, chorizo, hot Hungarian sausage, Irish banger sausage and others.
Bavette la Boucherie
217 N. BROADWAY | 414-273-3375
Sells frozen sausages made in-house, including Italians, Polish, brats, lamb merguez and kimchi chicken.
Old Germantown
W148 N12696 PLEASANT VIEW DR., GERMANTOWN | 262-345-5961
Fresh and frozen varieties from brats and Italians to a Greek chicken sausage.
Usinger’s
1030 N. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DR. | 414-276-9100
Various fresh and pre-cooked brats, blood sausages, franks and wieners, Italians, knackwurst, bockwurst, kielbasa and many, many more.
Kettle Range Meats
5501 W. STATE ST. | 414-882-7000
Find two to four fresh sausage specials that change weekly, plus smoked sausages that are always available (kielbasa, andouille, cheddarwurst) and a freezer full of house-made Italians, brats and more.
Groppi’s
1441 E. RUSSELL AVE. | 414-747-9012
30 kinds of house-made sausages including assorted brats and Italians – chicken versions as well. Specialties include Nashville hot chicken brat and The Saucy Swine, a fresh sausage with cheese curds and PBR-braised onions inside.
Karl’s Country Market
W156 N5645 PILGRIM RD., MENOMONEE FALLS | 262-252-3090
Lots of variety here, including brats, all-beef Polish, hot Polish, andouille, Cajun sausage, all-beef franks, bierwurst. Krautwurst, hot Hungarian, etc.
Make sure to have two things on hand – fresh bratwurst and beer. I par-cook brats in beer, before putting them on the grill, something I learned from my parents. To a large pot of beer (Miller High Life, if you want to get technical), add chopped onions and garlic. Bring to boil. Add brats, making sure there’s enough liquid to cover the sausage. Poach for about 10 minutes. Transfer to hot grill. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely charred. Now, bun it and serve it topped with onions and condiments of your choice.
