Brunswick Sausage: A German-Style Delicacy

The term Brunswick sausage is used for many different types of sausage. The name was never patented, and the specific type of sausage varies by region. In Germany, it refers to a variety of mettwurst, a smoked, soft, and spreadable sausage usually made from raw minced pork and spiced with garlic, salt, and pepper. In Austria, it is a boiled sausage made from beef and bacon, similar to the hunting sausage or Jagdwurst. In the US, it describes a smoked, spreadable liver sausage made from pork, beef, or veal and containing at least 30% liver. In Canada, Brunswick Chicken Vienna Sausages are available in select markets.

Brunswick Sausage in the US

The term "Brunswick Sausage" is used for many different types of sausage, as the name was never patented. In the US, the term "Brunswick Sausage" or "Braunschweiger" usually describes a smoked, spreadable liver sausage. The ingredients and production are legally defined: the sausage must be made from pork, beef, or veal and contain at least 30% liver. The USDA requires that the product contain a minimum of 30% liver, with a typical commercial formula consisting of around 40% pork liver or beef liver, 30% pork jowl, 20% lean pork trimmings, and 10% bacon ends and pieces.

Brunswick Sausage is made from raw minced pork and spiced with garlic, salt, and pepper. It has a very soft, spreadable texture and a distinctive spicy liver-based flavor. It is usually used as a spread for toast or crackers, or as a filling for sandwiches, often paired with stone-ground mustard, sliced tomato, onion, and cheese. In the Midwestern United States, it is typically eaten in a sandwich with various condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and dill pickles.

The name "Braunschweiger" comes from the city of Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, Germany. The sausage became widespread with the advent of food preservation by canning. Today, Brunswick Chicken Vienna Sausages are available in select markets in the US and Canada.

Braunschweiger Mettwurst

The term "Brunswick Sausage" does not refer to a specific speciality, but rather to a variety of different sausages. This is because the name was never patented. The type of sausage referred to as "Brunswick" varies from country to country. In the United States, "Braunschweiger Mettwurst" refers to a type of pork liver sausage, usually smoked and spreadable, with a minimum of 30% liver, as required by the USDA. It is typically made from raw minced pork and spiced with garlic, salt and pepper, and has been produced by Brunswick butchers since the early 19th century.

In Germany, "Braunschweiger" is the demonym for people from Brunswick (the German name being Braunschweig), but it also refers to a variety of Mettwurst under German food law. In Austria, "Braunschweiger" is a type of parboiled sausage or "Brühwurst", similar to "Jagdwurst" or "hunting sausage", made with a mixture of pork, beef, bacon and nitrite curing salt. This variety is usually eaten between meals.

"Braunschweiger Mettwurst" has a soft, spreadable texture and a distinctive spicy liver flavour. It is often used as a spread for toast or as a filling for sandwiches, paired with stone-ground mustard, sliced tomato, onion and cheese. In the Midwestern United States, it is commonly eaten in a sandwich with condiments such as ketchup, mustard and dill pickles, or simply spread on crackers. It can also be used as a primary ingredient in pâté and cheese ball recipes.

The "Braunschweiger Mettwurst" has been a regional speciality of Brunswick since the early 19th century, and its popularity spread with the advent of food preservation through canning. Today, it is a widely enjoyed meat product, known for its versatility and distinctive flavour.

Brunswick Sausage in the UK

The term "Brunswick Sausage" does not refer to a specific speciality, as the name was never patented. Instead, it is used to describe a variety of different sausages across the world.

In the UK, a Brunswick sausage is an English pork and beef sausage. To make it, you must grind lean pork, fat pork, pork belly, and beef through a 1/4” (6 mm) or 1/8” (3 mm) plate, respectively. Then, mix salt, cure, and pepper with 60 ml of cold water, and combine with the beef. Next, add the lean pork and re-mix until sticky, before adding the belly and fat pork, and mixing again. Stuff the mixture into 32-36 mm hog casings, and hang for an hour at room temperature. Smoke at 60° C (140° F) for an hour, and then cook in water at 80° C (176° F) until the internal temperature reaches 70° C (158° F). Finally, cool the sausages in cold water, hang to evaporate moisture, and refrigerate.

In the United States and Canada, "Brunswick Sausage" or "Braunschweiger" refers to a type of pork liver sausage, which is nearly always smoked when stuffed in natural casings. In Austria, "Braunschweiger" is a parboiled sausage made from beef and bacon, similar to the "Jagdwurst" or "hunting sausage". Meanwhile, in Germany, "Braunschweiger" is a variety of mettwurst, a smoked, soft, and spreadable sausage, usually made from raw minced pork and spiced with garlic, salt, and pepper.

Brunswick Sausage in Austria

The term "Brunswick sausage" is used for many different types of sausage, as the name was never patented. In Austria, a Brunswick sausage is a type of parboiled sausage (Brühwurst) made from beef and bacon. This variety is similar to Jagdwurst, or "hunting sausage", and is made with a mixture of pork and beef, bacon and nitrite curing salt.

The Austrian version is distinct from the variety found in the USA, where "Brunswick sausage" usually describes a smoked, spreadable liver sausage. In the US, the cooked sausage must be made from pork, beef, or veal and contain at least 30% liver. The American variety is typically served as a spread for toast or as a filling for sandwiches.

The Austrian version, on the other hand, is usually eaten between meals. It is not to be confused with the English Brunswick sausage, which is made from pork and beef.

The "Brunswick" in the name comes from Braunschweig, Germany, and the sausage is named after the city in Lower Saxony. It has been produced by Brunswick butchers as a regional speciality since the early 19th century and became widespread with the advent of food preservation by canning.

Brunswick Chicken Vienna Sausages

The name "Brunswick sausage" does not refer to a specific specialty; instead, it is used to describe many different types of sausages. The term was never patented, and different types of sausages are referred to as "Brunswick" or "Braunschweiger" in different countries. In the US, a "Braunschweiger" is usually a smoked, spreadable liver sausage made from pork, beef, or veal and containing at least 30% liver. In Austria, it is a boiled sausage made from beef and bacon, and in Germany, it is a spreadable, smoked sausage made from soft, coarse, or fine pork.

Chicken Vienna sausages are typically finely ground to a paste-like consistency and mixed with salt and various spices, such as cloves, coriander, nutmeg, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper. The sausage mixture is then stuffed into long casings, sometimes smoked, and always thoroughly cooked. Beginning in the 1950s, the casings were removed, and the sausages were cut into short segments for canning and cooking.

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