So I am going to attempt my first bratwurst. I have a bunch of ground pork from my pig share. It looks to be about 80-20. I specifically requested a course grind, which is what I got. Do any of y’all have any thoughts about starting with already ground pork? I would grind half a second time and then incorporate the seasonings.
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I haven’t made brats, but I’ve made sausage a number of times. I can’t help with the ground meat, as I always grind what I use. But I do double grind using the larger plate then medium, so you should be ok as you have planned.
Have fun! Looking forward to hear how it goes! -
I have tried making bratwurst a number of times and have not found a recipe that I would want to make again. I live in Minnesota, and there are lots of bratwursts that I can buy that are really good.
Now, when I want to try recipes for sausage, I buy ground pork just to make it easier to try different recipes. It is usually 70-30.
I try about 5 different recipes at a time, a pound each. I don't bother casing them, just want to see which ones I like. I haven't had a problem with the store ground pork. That has been just for trials though. I grind my own when there is a recipe I know is good.
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Ideally, you want to get 70/30 so adding a touch more pork fat would be good.
I am not sure about grinding already ground meat. I tried this last week actually, and it turned the meat into paste which was a total waste of time. I suspect my meat was already too finely ground so a coarse grind could be okay.
If you are using the KitchenAid attachment, be prepared for a painful session.
If you fee uncertain about the seasoning, make a small patty and fry it and see how it tastes and make an adjustment.Comment
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I’ll add, break up the ground pork and freeze prior to grinding it. When I make sausage, I freeze inbetween grinding so it doesn’t get turned into paste. I don’t know if this will help you with the ground pork but just a thought.Comment
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Relax, your 80/20 will work fine. Just add 1 cup of dry milk powder per 5 pounds of meat. The proteins in the milk will act as a binder, which means a juicer brat.Keep it below 40 degrees when mixing, adding ice water as needed, and you'll be golden.Comment
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I've only make Brats a couple times so definitely no expert. This site gives a good advice though.
If you need seasoning their #282 Honey Mustard is a favorite.Comment
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I used to work in a sausage kitchen long ago. I was just a laborer, so I never learned all the secret recipes. But I do know a little about the grinds. Almost all sausages would start with a course grind. Then we'd add spice and grind again with the medium or small plate, depending on what we were making. I would think with brats, the medium would be about right (depending on your set up I suppose). The small was for stuff like bologna. With a fresh sausage, I would think you could get away with 20% fat; if you are going to smoke them, I'd probably up this a bit (~30%).Comment
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Meathead’s guide is unbeatable though.
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