Weisswurst: Bavarian Delicacy, Simple Cooking Techniques

Weisswurst, or white sausage, is a Bavarian speciality. It is made from a mixture of finely minced veal and back bacon stuffed into pork casings. Weisswurst is seasoned with parsley, onions, lemon, and spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, mace, and ginger.

There are several ways to cook weisswurst, including simmering it in salted water, grilling it, or pan-frying it with beer. It is important to note that weisswurst should not be fried or grilled as this may cause the casing to burst. Instead, it should be heated in warm, but not boiling, water to prevent it from breaking.

Weisswurst is typically served with a soft pretzel, sweet mustard, and a cold glass of wheat beer. It is traditionally eaten as a mid-morning snack or second breakfast in Bavaria and should be consumed before noon as it is highly perishable and does not contain any preservatives.

How to prepare the ingredients

Preparing the ingredients for Bavarian Weisswurst is a simple but delicate process. The traditional recipe for these white sausages includes a mixture of finely minced veal and back bacon, stuffed into pork casings. The sausages are seasoned with parsley, onions, fresh lemon, and ground spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, mace, and ginger.

To prepare the ingredients, start by rinsing the salt off the casing and soaking it in warm water. The meat, a combination of pork and veal, should be very cool before grinding. Wash the casing inside and out with tap water and set it aside, covered.

Next, prepare the spices. Grind them to a fine powder, including the mustard seeds, and grate the zest of an organic lemon, ensuring you only use the yellow part of the zest. Cut the meat and back fat into strips, with the size depending on the size of your meat grinder.

Add the spices to the meat and massage them in. Then, place the meat in the freezer for 1-2 hours to aid the grinding process and maintain the ideal temperature.

Now it's time to grind the meat. Use the finest perforated disc (2mm) and run the meat through the grinder twice for a finer texture.

Return the ground meat to the freezer while you prepare the parsley. Wash and finely chop the parsley, then add it to the meat mixture along with the other ingredients, except for the crushed ice and cutter phosphate.

Using a food processor, blend the mixture until it forms a cohesive mass. Gradually add the crushed ice to the food processor to create a creamy texture. Monitor the temperature to ensure it stays below 12°C / 53°F.

Finally, add the cutter phosphate to the mixture and blend until everything is well combined. Your Weisswurst ingredients are now ready to be filled into the casings and cooked!

How to cook Weisswurst in a pot

Weisswurst, or white sausage, is a Bavarian speciality. It is traditionally heated in water and served with a soft pretzel, sweet mustard, and a cold beer.

To cook Weisswurst in a pot, start by filling a pot with water and bringing it to a boil. You will need enough water to completely cover the sausages. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low and gently lower the Weisswurst into the water. Keep the lid off and simmer the sausages for around 10 minutes, or until they are warmed through. You can check the temperature with a meat thermometer—the sausages should reach 170 °F (77 °C).

Once the Weisswurst are cooked, turn off the heat and transfer them to a large serving bowl. Add some of the salty water from the pot to the bowl and serve immediately.

Weisswurst is traditionally eaten by cutting off the tip of the sausage and sucking the meat out of the casing. Alternatively, you can cut off the end and peel the skin off, or make a slit along the length of the sausage and peel off the casing with a knife and fork.

How to cook Weisswurst on a grill

Weisswurst is a white sausage specialty of Bavaria, made from veal and pork. It is seasoned with parsley, onions, lemon, and spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, mace, and ginger. Weisswurst is traditionally boiled, but can also be grilled. Here is a guide on how to cook Weisswurst on a grill:

Step 1: Check if your Weisswurst is raw or pre-cooked

Ask your butcher if the Weisswurst needs to be fully cooked or just reheated. If you are using packaged Weisswurst, check the cooking instructions.

Step 2: Reheat pre-cooked Weisswurst on the grill

If your Weisswurst is pre-cooked, simply place it on a medium-heat grill. Cover the grill and cook the sausages until they are heated through, turning them occasionally. This should take around 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3: Grill raw Weisswurst over medium-low heat

If your Weisswurst is raw, prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-low heat. Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil to prevent the sausages from sticking. Place the Weisswurst on the grill over indirect heat. Cover the grill and cook until the sausages reach an internal temperature of 140 °F (60 °C). Turn the sausages frequently and spray them with water or beer to ensure even browning and prevent splitting.

Step 4: Rest and serve

Once the Weisswurst has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the grill and transfer it to a serving plate. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes. This allows the sausages to finish cooking and ensures they are served hot.

Tips:

• Avoid poking the casing of the Weisswurst with a fork, knife, or tongs to prevent the flavorful juices from leaking out.
• Serve with sweet mustard, a large pretzel, and a cold glass of Bavarian beer for an authentic experience.
• Weisswurst is traditionally eaten as a mid-morning snack and should be consumed before midday as it is highly perishable.

How to serve Weisswurst

Weisswurst, or white sausage, is a Bavarian speciality, typically made from a mixture of finely minced veal and back bacon, stuffed into pork casings. Weisswurst is usually seasoned with parsley, onions, lemon, and spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, mace, and ginger.

Weisswurst is traditionally served in pairs, in a special lidded dish, with a salty bread pretzel, sweet mustard, and a large glass of wheat beer. The sausages are placed directly into the dish, still in their cooking water, to keep them warm.

To eat the weisswurst, the casing is usually removed. This can be done by cutting off the tip of the sausage and sucking out the meat (known as zuzeln), or by cutting off the end and peeling the skin away with your fingers. Some people also make a slit along the length of the sausage and peel away the casing with a knife and fork.

Weisswurst is traditionally eaten as a mid-morning snack, as it is made fresh each morning and doesn't contain any preservatives. However, nowadays, it is also eaten at other times of the day, and can be bought in supermarkets across Germany.

If you're serving weisswurst for a Bavarian breakfast or brunch, it is customary to provide 2-3 links per person, along with pretzels, sweet mustard, and a glass of wheat beer.

Some tips for serving weisswurst:

• Keep the sausages warm by serving them in a pot of hot (but not boiling) water, or by using a cast-iron skillet or ramekin to retain heat.
• The casing of the weisswurst is typically removed before eating, as it can be soft and not very enjoyable.
• To remove the casing, make a cut along the side of the sausage and then pull off the skin.
• It is considered traditional to suck the sausage out of its skin, although this is not very common anymore.
• Weisswurst should be eaten with your hands, rather than cut up with a knife and fork.
• Dip the sausage into sweet mustard before eating.

A Recipe for Homemade Weisswurst

If you want to make your own weisswurst at home, here is a recipe to try. This recipe makes approximately 12 sausages.

Ingredients:

• 475g veal (shoulder)
• 325g pork back fat
• 200g crushed ice or ice water
• 1g ground mustard seeds
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
• 3g cutter phosphate
• Pork casing calibre 30/32

Instructions:

• Grind your spices (except for the cutter phosphate and parsley) to a fine powder.
• Grate the zest of half a lemon, using only the yellow part of the zest.
• Cut your meat and back fat into strips.
• Add the spices to the meat and massage them in. Put the meat in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
• Grind the meat through the finest perforated disc (2mm).
• Grind the meat a second time.
• Put the meat mixture into a sausage cutter or food processor and add the cutter phosphate.
• Mix the meat and gradually add crushed ice until it forms a cohesive mass.
• Measure the temperature; the meat should not be warmer than 12°C.
• Add the chopped parsley to the meat and mix until homogeneous.
• Put the pork casing onto your sausage filler.
• Press the sausage filler down and let the air escape.
• Tie the pork casing at the beginning and fill with the sausage meat.
• Link the sausage to your desired size; the traditional weight is around 80g.
• Poach the weisswurst for about 30 minutes in 75°C water.

Your homemade weisswurst is now ready to serve! Don't forget to provide pretzels and sweet mustard on the side.

How to eat Weisswurst

Weisswurst is a Bavarian speciality, often eaten as a second breakfast or mid-morning snack. It is traditionally served in pairs, in a special lidded dish, with a salty bread pretzel, sweet mustard, and a large glass of wheat beer.

Weisswurst is always eaten without its casing. To eat it in the traditional Bavarian way, cut off the tip of the sausage and suck the meat out of its skin. This is known as zuzeln. If you prefer not to do this, you can cut off the end of the sausage and peel the skin off gently with your fingers, or make a slit along the length of the sausage and peel it away with a knife and fork.

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