Johnsonville Brats--what's the big deal?

[toodie jane]

Last weekend we went ot a small, local air show. There is never much to eat, usually some local boy scout troop selling popcorn, hamburgers and canned sodas. This year there was a huge semi made into "the world's largest grill!" and their stand was selling Johnsonville Brats as if they were the be-all and end-all of meat sandwiches. This in the home city o' tri-tip.

We each got one, and it was very lightly grilled, with light heat marks, and starting to sweat fat. Served in an air-bread white bun, with condiments on the side, mustard, mayo, saurkraut and green pickle relish. I didn't put anything on mine, wanting to see what the flavor of the sausage was. My reaction; Meh? Decent size, flavor a bit mild, and very greasy. I tossed the bread and ate the sausage plain. Like Chino Wayne, I was irritated to have consumed the calories of something so mediocre.

The Johnsonville crew chief eagerly asked me how I liked it, and my less than enthusiatic reaction seemed to wound his pride. I told him we have lots of good regional sausages like Italian sweet and hot, Linguisa, Chorizo, Longanisa, etc., that are better, and that I probably wouldn't buy these in the grocery. His smile faded, and he thanked me for trying his product.

The only local exposure to these sausages is through heavy TV advertising. They are in the grocery but not an institution at local bbq gatherings as AFAIK. Are these really so popular in other areas of the country?

Would love to hear other sausage eaters weigh (hah) in on this.

[Matahari22]

I really like Johnsonville Brats. The original ones. I had never had them growing up in NYC. I only ever had Italian sausage. I hate fennel seed, and hot pepper makes me sick, so I never liked or ate hot sausage.

We have a local place and I only ever eat their regular Country Store sausage, or Johnsonville Brats. I like whatever those spices are in the JB. I like Country Store's because it's just 'plain'. Not hot or spicy stuff, and no fennel seed.

The first JB I ever had was grilled and in a really nice toasty roll with mustard, ketchup and relish on it, at a BBQ at some ones house. I was hooked.

I often cook them in the slow cooker with potatoes and sour kraut. I like them all kinds of ways.

[Kagemusha]

They're greasy, empty calorie bombs--just low-grade industrial product. They're poor sellers around Toronto simply because the wide range of excellent locally-made ethnic sausage varieties makes them irrelevant.

[joonjoon]

Personally Johnsonville Brats are my favorite grillin' sausage. Cook the brats on the grill and get them charred, dunk into a beer/onion bath, then back on the grill for a couple more minutes. Serve with onion beer sauce and some mustard...that's one of my favorite things EVARRR.

[PotatoHouse]

I concour. Boil in beer and onions, then grill both the brats and the onions. WARNING!! Just as with cooking with wine, if you wouldn't DRINK the beer, don't COOK with it! If it isn't good enough to drink why would you put it in your food??

[joonjoon]

Because cooking the beer/wine totally changes the flavor?

[rr19601]

I have even had brats in Germany, Eh! I prefer the Johnsonville Itailian Sweet sausage pan fried on Italian bread with pan sauteed peppers and onions.

[EWSflash]

Finally- somebody else that sees the emperor is naked instead of wearing invisible finery.

Meh is right.

[KristieB]

Johnsonville Brats original flavor will forever be the brat that tastes "right" to me because it was my first experience with brats. I grew up in PA where we ate italian sausages with peppers and onions, so brats were this new thing for me. However I had an Abbyland brat this summer and they are outstanding. If you ever see them please try them. The packaging isn't impressive but these brats are simply delicious.

[The Professor]

I'm not a big fan of ANY of the Johnsonville sausages. They seem to have a cloying, "artificial" taste. The Brats are not completely terrible I suppose but certainly nothing to write home about.
Their Italian style sausages, on the other hand, are downright heinous. Right on the bottom of the heap with Premio and just about anything from Hillshire Farms.

[alkapal]

professor, may i make the wild assumption that you are not chanting, "GO MEAT!"?

[The Professor]

LOL. No, that wouldn't be correct. I love meat, and especially good sausages. In fact I have been trying to reduce the meat in my diet, but to no avail.

As far as sausages go, I guess I'm overly picky being spoiled by the many, many small butcher shops of all ethnicities (not to mention the old men at our church who ran the Kolbasz sale every month ) who made really fine home made sausages. If I have to resort to supermarket bought tubed meat, I almost always opt for the store-made brands (especially the in-store made fresh sausages) which are usually somewhat better than the national brands.

[junescook]

I have to agree with you entirely. Having been spoiled by the Ehmer brats with their perfect pork/veal/ spice combo, I found these just greasey and bland.

[EatWisconsin]

I'll be honest, my love of Johnsonville is tied to my youth. I have been eating them my entire life and the Johnsonville brat is the measuring stick I use when comparing other brats. Dont' get me wrong, I am not saying they are the best (that award goes to the Lake Tomahawk Meat Market) nor are they the worst, but they are a great brat that you can get anywhere. When I crave brats, I typically am craving that Johnsonville taste.

My preparation method has changed over the years. I am no longer a boil first person. I like to grill them right out of the package and then when they are done, keep them warm in a pot with beer and onions. You get a more pronounced beer flavor.

[monkeyrotica]

I use the same technique: grillmarks first, then simmer in a pan of beer and sliced onions. I've also found they're pretty good at absorbing smoke flavor; fruit woods work the best for a smokier brat.

[KristieB]

I cook my brats in the opposite order. I simmer them in beer and onion and then finish them off on the grill.

[adventureandy]

Johnsonville sucks, honesty. Pretty much any other Bratwurst has less fat, salt, nitrates, sugar, etc. If you can buy anything else, I recommend it: Big brands like Hillshire, Klements, Usingers (best of the biggies) are better. However, the real trick is to get Brats from a small butcher. Pretty much every counter in 'sconie has their own bratwurst. The Schultz's market in Deforest Wisconsin was very good, Jennifer St Market in Madison also fantastic. Hart and Vold in Baraboo,WI.

AS far as online, its a crap shoot. Im not keen on the Bavarian Inc stuff,I have tried their stuff right over the counter,its OK,but not amazing.

How would I know? Mother born and raised in Deutschland, hardcore sausage fanatic,ex chef of 10 yrs. People here trying to "sell" you on Johnsonville, simply dont have a clue, no offense.

[RGC1982]

Now that you have revived this old thread, I feel it is appropriate to respond.

I grew up on Italian sausage that was made by hand from local butchers in the Northeast (US). You have different varieties, could buy links versus wheels, hot or sweet, with fennel and without, with broccoli rabe. parsley and cheese, etc. They were wonderful.

When I moved years ago to Texas, everyone was into brats, smoked and sausage style. I could not get decent Italian sausages, so I tried brats. The only good sausages are smoked and available at local BBQ joints, and some of those can be really good. In stores, they can vary tremendously in quality and flavor. About the only thing I can say for Johnsonville is that they are predictable, and if cooked properly, passable. Strangely, I think one of the reasons I don't like some of the sausages at Central Market, where they sell artisan sausages, is that they are too lean. The sausages have a tougher texture, and for that reason I have sworn off some of their varieties, particularly the Italian sausages. They are so far removed from what I expect that they offend my palate, and I will stick with only flavors I can't find elsewhere. So, to answer the question posed by the OP:

Think of Johnsonville brats as you would Oscar Meyer hotdogs. Far from the best, but passable unless poorly cooked.

[MrsT]

I would love to find out what the big deal about Johnsonville Brats. I have a coupon that was in the Sunday paper, but I can't find them in any of my local supermarkets in NYC (and a few I frequent in NJ).

[QSheba]

I grew up in WI and would agree that there are much better brats than Johnsonville. When I go home to visit my parents I bring back tons of (uncooked) brats (freshly made at Maplewood Meats in Green Bay, WI) in a cooler and freeze them. Here in Pittsburgh, the sausage choices are usually kielbasa or Italian sausage...so I'll eat Johnsonville if I'm desperate for a taste of home! I try to ration the brats for stuff like, Packer Playoff games! Paraphrasing a recipe from a guy named "Packer Jim"...For about 6 brats, slice onion, 2 cloves of garlic and sweat in 2tsp. of butter, then pour in 3 bottles of beer. Although I know some people will disagree... I prick the brats w/ a fork to 1) let in onion, garlic, and beer flavor, and 2) get extra grease out. After simmering for about 30 min, brown on grill. I like mine with just mustard but always serve it w/ sauerkraut (w/ some of the beer liquid stirred in) and the cooked onions.

If only there was a way to get the fried cheese curds and frozen custard..

[alkapal]

osheba, your cooking technique does help make them less greasy -- our friend who loves brats (and used to live in germany) fixes them that way, and grills them on a george foreman grill (he has no outdoor grill). while greasy still, the skin gets crispy and caramelized a bit.

[alkapal]

one word:

GRRRRREEEEEAAAASSSSYYYYYYYY

[wayne keyser]

It's a marketing thing.

I've had house-made brats at a small German market in Virginia and they leave Johnsonville in the dust.

[Gringo Joe]

You are so correct... I retired down here in Panama 10 years ago... For the last four years all I see on TV are these brats... All of a sudden there they were in our grocery store... I bought the last 8 packages of the smoked brats... I ate two... They were horrible and awful... Too much artificial smoke flavor, the quality of meat contained Grissel, tendons, and the membrane that separates the mussel.. I have been making my own sausage for years and even I have never made such a bad tasting sausage...
My maid ate one and left half of it on the plate... I told here she could take all of the packages home... They are still in my freezer...

Gringo Joe
Panama

[niki rothman]

Hi TJ!
I just received my 6 pounds (minimum order) of assorted sausages including brats from Usingers of Milwaukee, which was recommended in this post. Everything got a big thumbs up. It arrived freezing cold now at the height of summer too. Once again chowhounds come through!

[toodie jane]

Hi yourself!

how is the fat content compared to some of the local Calif sausages?

p.s.: If you like linguica, try the old worl style at Wolfsen's in Gustine, just off I-5 north of Santa Nella. Wow!

[niki rothman]

Hey, TJ!

We've been feasting on our Usinger's brats, bockwursts, and kielbasa! I think the bockwursts are my personal fave. I WAS rather limited because i only wanted to buy what did not contain preservatives - nitrates/nitites. So the wonderful people at Usinger's did the research and sent me a list. Besides what I bought I think the only other choices were liver sausages, pot roast en gelee, and Italian sausages - which I should try all of in my next order. Other than that nothing - except Niman Ranch which is available in SF, although I've had a hard time finding out when they are delivered so i can get them at the height of freshness .

I am rather a stickler on the nitrates issue as they contribute to colon cancer chances. So, I want to keep reasearching, here, sources for non-preservative sausages. Also kindness to animal is very important to me. I recently found out that it is forbidden to Jews to hunt other than for food. Niman is fine on that issue. Oooh, I should turn you onto a great meat source that may be available in your area - Harris Ranch - soo delish! Very fair prices. Good treatment of animals. And I found them right near me in SF.

About the linguica you mention - yum yum! But 2 questions - preservatives? Richard says Gustine is between you and L.A. I will go online and see where else they are. Should I search "Wolfson's" - seems I havve seen that brand around town too. Or maybe I'm thinking English muffins (LOL).

Chow!

[toodie jane]

Niki--Wolfsen's does both fresh sausage (raw meat in casings, frozen or fresh) without preservatives. Their smoked sausage does contain "minimum amount of sodium nitrite as required by law" so evidently smoked sausage is required to have the preservatives.

Good news is that they do linguisa both fresh and smoked. I've not had the fresh, so can't comment. Always had linguisa smoked. But Wolfsen's does such a good job with their products, they'd have to be pretty good.

http://www.wolfsensausage.com/freshsa...

Harris Ranch meats are available at most of our local markets. I usually get their beef tri tip or baja steaks.

[Veggo]

In Florida we have the pre- cooked regular and smoked Johnsonvilles in most markets. I like the smoked. I tend to heap relish, onions, and mustard on anything that resembles a hotdog, which works ok. I don't keep saurkraut in the pantry. Last week I dressed a pair of grilled smoked with leftover chimichurri sauce from a C'hound recipe. Worked well.

[revsharkie]

I think the appeal is that they're uniformly the same wherever you buy them. Otherwise, sausages are different depending on the recipes and preferences of the people who make them. That's the beauty of them, in my opinion. It's like going to a mom-and-pop local burger joint vs. going to McDonalds. The McD burger is going to be the same whether you're in Kansas or Wisconsin or wherever.

Try all the local varieties, wherever you're at. We have a locker a ways from here that makes *skinless* brats that are really good, even though you wouldn't exactly think so given they're skinless. (You obviously can't boil them first, either, but it works all right.) And when we lived in Oregon we used to get some brats (white ones) and beer sausages from an outfit called Fetzer's that always had a stand at the Beaverton Farmers Market. Then there were some in Portland at Saturday Market that were completely different again, and then there was the Polish butcher up the street from where we lived...No need for mass-produced stuff when you have a variety of local and ethnic options available, in my opinion.

[JNUNZMAN]

Growing up on Italian sausage, I too wondered what the big deal was and decided to buy a package and try them. I parboiled in beer and topped with grilled onions and mustard, placed on a nice roll.........and it tasted blah....no taste with the exception of the condiments. I thought that it had the consistancy and taste of Italian sausage that had zero seasoning in it.
I wouldn't buy again.

[chrisinroch]

Maybe it has a bit to do with the fact that it's what we grew up on but I love johnsonville. Another poster compares them to breakfast sausage...I guess the spicing is not dissimilar, but I love those flavors. I think they balance the heavy salt with some good spicing. I'm scratching my head about the poster who says they are bland. IMO they are on the other end of the spectrum with most german wurst being much less spicy. Not bad, just different. I guess if the preparer cooked them in beer prior to grilling (which a lot of people do) and overcooked them the result would be a lot less flavor.

Flavors are so subjective and personal. Thanks for starting an interesting thread

[The Big Thing]

As a UW graduate who has cooked more than his fair share of brats, I think I may be qualified to weigh in on this topic. Keep in mind that the Johnsonville World's Largest Grill only prepares the precooked version of their brats, which don't have as much flavor as the raw brats. Wisconsinites only view these brats as a type of fast food, not a culinary delight (see Madison's bratfest www.bratfest.com).

My preferred method of preparation is to sautee crushed garlic and onion, add dark beer (dark is key) along with thyme and rosemary. Bring beer to a very gentle simmer, add raw brats and poach until the brats are nearly done. Then grill over medium heat to add color and finish cooking. Be careful of high heat as the brats may rupture and lose their juices. Top with kraut and brown mustard and serve with a side of cheese curds.

[phant0omx]

i poach my brats, but am going to try your new method. beer i've used include guinness, bass, new castle.

[niki rothman]

Which beer do you guys think gives the best flavor?
P.S.
I just made a call and have located the Niman Ranch brats 8 blocks from my home in SF! This is really big, big news to me as they have no preservatives, raise the animals organically and treat them very humanely. I'm on top o' the world!

[phant0omx]

i've used a combination of guinness/bass and new castle, which gives great flavor. the hint of nuttiness from the new castle coupled with the sweetness of the onions is great.
always topped with brown/deli mustard and the onions or kraut thus far.

i started doing the combo because i didn't want to add water to the mix and i still wanted to drink some of the beer so instead of pouring a whole sixer into the pot i poured only three and still had three of both kinds of beer to drink. too cheap to buy more beer i guess...

[John Manzo]

I'm a UW grad too (PhD 1993) and I've always considered Johnsonville an abomination, for the simple reason that they use MSG.

[niki rothman]

Thanks for the tip. Some chowhounds disdain negative posts, but I for one truly appreciate hearing what's bad as well as what's good. But, most supermarket sausages contain sodium nitrate and nitrite and don't eat those preservatives because they are carcinogenic. So, I'd never be seduced even by that high powered advertising on TV which makes it sound like those apparently greasy blah weenies are an important reason to go on living.

We chowhounds only eat what REALLY tastes delicious. I have often taken one bite out of something, swallowed it for politeness if in company, and quickly headed for the nearest discrete way to dispose of the rest. If I'm in private, even that first bite would not descend my deliacate chowhound's gullet.

[Uncle Ira]

I have a question about the poaching in beer method that some have posted about here. Do you do this with the brats that come pre-cooked, “ready to eat” or just with the raw “fresh” ones? Or both? I love the idea of it... Do you really taste the difference?

Uncle Ira

[swsidejim]

When I used to parboil the brats it is only with the "fresh" uncooked variety.

I actually have switched my cooking method after going to Sheboygan Brat Days last August. I saw how the jaycees were cooking up their brats, and now do it a similar way.

In a saucepan I mix beer, raw onion, a chunk of butter, garlic, saurkraut juice, and a dash or two. I simmer this mixture for about 30 mins while grill is getting ready. I put the brats on the grill, and baste them with the beer mixture for the whole time they are on the grill(about 25-30 mins). I was a par boiler before, but now prefer this method. I find the meat stays more tender, and you still get the great flavor.

BTW I love Johnsonville Brats, and am going back to Brat Days in Sheboygen this August.

[revsharkie]

"beer, raw onion, a chunk of butter, garlic, saurkraut juice, and a dash or two."

....ummm...a dash or two of what?

[swsidejim]

sorry, left out the last part,

a dash or two of tobasco.

[niki rothman]

I actually HAD an uncle Ira. But he's dead. And if he were alive I doubt he'd have identified himself through his tenuous relationship to me and my brother, but in any case, I think the beer, especially with stuff like garlic, onions, and rosemary in it - and especially if it was maybe Guiness, as some of the folks mentioned, would add SOME taste either way, but I suspect the raw meat is going to absorb a lot more flavor than the cooked, don't you?

[jword2001]

I love'm! , maybe you got a bad sausage, i bought a box of J'ville once that really had no flavor, but never had the prob again, possibly try them again, they really are good.

[jeri817]

The first time I had a Johnsonville brat was at an apple festival in Millneck L.I. with my late mother. It has not been easy finding those white colored brats. When I do, I stock up, and when I eat one it brings back the sweetest memories. I like them grilled or broiled in the oven on a bun with nothing more than some mustard. The cheddar ones are good also. Thank you for allowing me to share this . :)

[torta basilica]

Usinger's Rules! I also love their frankfurters & weiners.

[BackyardChef]

I walk by Karl Ehmer's on Fresh Pond all the time and just stand by their exhaust and inhale the smokey goodness coming out. Their bacon is really good, too...but they have a wonderful selection of wursts...

[MaspethMaven]

I don't care for the JVs at all, but I'm spoiled by having the original Karl Ehmer's storefront just a mile or so away. Here's a Wiki on sausage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sausage for those of you inclined to try them all.

[Rick]

I recently had a brat from their "Biggest Grill" when it was in Pittsburgh for the Vintage Grand Prix. I thought it tasted like a breakfast sausge and so did my mother. Would never ever buy these in the store!

[Bostonbob3]

Rick, are you talking about Johnsonville or Klement?

[Bostonbob3]

Hey, Midwest Hounds: how are Klement sausages? I know they're available retail in the midwest, and are served at the Milwaukee Brewers stadium. They've just been named as the official brat, sausage, and hotdog vendor at Gillette Stadium (home of the 3-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots!).

I've heard raves from people about the sausages served at Brewers games, so I'm hopeful.

[RichK]

Johnsonville Brats are good when grilled but I agree that Karl Ehmers are better. BTW they ship for free if your order is over $60. Their headcheese and liverwursts are good too.
The best damn brat I'ver ever eaten came from Deowig's Store in Ohio, I think. Saw an article in Saveur about them and ordered 5#. MMMMMM were they good.
Only problem was that the shipping ($25)cost more than the 5# (19.95) of brats. Try them if you ever get a chance.

[fryrose]

I'm from Illinois and we tend to sneak up north to get some good bratwurst. There are lots of great butchers who make their own brats and it is a pleasure to patronize these great independent sites. For commercial, store bought, we need to feed a crowd that has some taste discernment, Billh above got it right. Usinger's is the one. They have not saturated the airwaves like Johnsonville and they have a much better product. Usinger's is one I would try mailorder with as they have put out a catalog for years and do a booming Holiday season business. Enjoy!

[jackie de]

I'm glad to see other midwest hounds think Usingers is great. I can buy them at my local Dominicks here in Ill. at times, but will travel to WI to get them too. We have a few local sausage makers in my area that also do a great job making brats. Years ago, I worked for a company that had Johnsonville as a client and when I made those brats people just went nuts about them. I could never understand that---they were much too salty for my taste and didn't have the right Brat flavor. Try Usingers, you won't be disappointed!

[sunshine842]

Usingers are grease bombs IMO (yes, I've eaten them at State St Brats in Madison)-- and Johnsonville are all I can get -- so that's what we buy.

[billh]

Give Usinger's a try. You can order them online from their website. Also, their natural casing franks are excellent. I'm from central WI originally and we used to always serve them on a light pumpernickel bun made by Holsum bakery. I've never seen those buns outside of that general area. The little town I grew up in used to have one night a summer where all the merchants would serve free brats out on Main Street. The local butcher there, Nolechek's, would parboil them in beer, grill them, then throw them in a small milk can full of melted butter until they were served. OMG!! They sell via mail order/web as well.

[toodie jane]

Well, I must say, I'm thrilled at the input! I almost expected to be roasted (urg) for my comments.

I love sausage, but don't know much about German sausage; never have been abroad nor lived in a German community. I don't know the difference between Bockwurst (I love Silva Sausage Co.'s) and Bratwurst.

Can anyone enlighten me?

I will try some of the leads and techniques you all have shared. Thank you!

[Sharuf]

"Bratwurst" seems to be a generic name for fresh (uncured) pork sausage. The ones in Frankfurt Germany are a fine-ground white sausage about 1/3 lb in size, browned on a griddle and served in a little "brotchen" (hardroll) with a couple bites of sausage suggestively sticking out each end.

Here in America, I've seen both white and coarse-ground sausages called bratwurst.

"Bockwurst", in the WA state Swiss community where I grew up, is a fine-ground white veal sausage, running about 5 to a lb. They are cooked by gently steaming. The have a very light, almost fluffy quenelle-ish delicate texture and are subtly flavored with parsley. They are my favorite sausages in the whole world. The supermarket sausages going under the bockwurst label are crude knockoffs of what a good Swiss butcher would create.

[jlawrence01]

In some markets - like Cincinnati - what is sold as Bratwurst is a veal sausage that is called Weisswurst in most other markets.

It gets very confusing ..

[krandy21784]

Weisswurst is only eaten before noon in Bavaria and the skin is always removed. Bratwurst in the US is sold both as the weisswurst and the American Sheboygan which is more like a very large Nuerenburgrwurst. Personnally I like them all but really love Sheboygan style brats, I make homemade but like JV or Klements or Ussinger.

[Will Owen]

"Weisswurst is only eaten before noon in Bavaria and the skin is always removed." Except for the AM-only thing, that sounds a lot like Cajun boudin blanc - you take off the skins and eat with a fork. First time I was served any the guy didn't tell me that, and laughed his a$$ off to see me trying to bite through... All the American-made weisswurst I've seen has been tender of skin, and (to my taste) not particularly interesting.

[Phoo D]

That's the bockwurst I grew up with also. Also my favorites. When I was in Germany, I almost always chose weisswurst over the darker sausages.

ed

[toodie jane]

whereabouts is this in WA, in case I get up that way?

The 'supermarket knockoffs' are actually PDG: finely ground veal, a bit of parsley and I think seasoned with nutmeg. Dreamy flavorand texture. My favorite breakfast sausage to go with eggs. I can't imagine how good those are in your old stomping grounds!!

[Sharuf]

The butcher of my childhood-memory sausage is long gone and I haven't done grocery shopping in the Northwest in ages, so have no current recommendations.

In my current neighborhood, supermarket "bockwurst" are adulterated with pork and have a heavier texture.

[niki rothman]

I agree - delicate, nutmeg flavor and nice if one does not like porky flavor - pretty easy to find good ones - we call them "brockwursts" AND they have no preservatives. The only supermarket sausages free of nasty chemicals!

[Will Owen]

As I understand it (and according to every recipe I have for it) bratwurst is a medium-ground sausage of pork and veal in varying proportions, and the signature spice is mace, with no other strong flavors competing. I make mine with turkey breast instead of veal for complicated karmic reasons, and have yet to stuff any, though I intend to try that someday.

I have seen some white, finely-ground sausages labelled "bratwurst", and have tried them. They seem to me to be simply a weisswurst, which I do not particularly like. The bockwurst I've seen looks kinda like knockwurst. All of this is enough to make me want to take an extended vacation back in the Midwest, just to re-acquaint myself with the beloved sausages of my youth...IF anyone is still making them!

[2roadsdiverge]

Down the street from my house in Kansas City is a local butcher shop called Werner's (http://www.wernerswurst.com/), where I buy all my sausages. It was started by a Swedish man, then taken over by a German, and they have blended the styles. Here's how the owners describe the differences:

German Style Bratwurst....A classic German sausage with a hot dog like texture; very mild in flavor but great when topped with German mustard and sauerkraut.

Bier Brat....A coarse grind pork sausage sometimes referred to as a "Wisconsin-Style" brat or a "Sheboygan" brat. Excellent simmered in beer and onions, then grilled. Ideal for BBQ competitions too!

Bockwurst....An all veal sausage made with chives-very rich. Typically a traditional Easter sausage, but available all year round here!

So it seems like the difference between German and Wisconsin brats is the grind, with German being finer.

[Will Owen]

Johnsonville brats are good if that's all you can get, and a whole lot better than those I've tried from any of the big sausage makers. As some other posters have noted, you have to cook them just so for best effect, though I have also used them as components in such things as choucroute garni and cassoulet, where they add a nicely different flavor. Any good German-style butcher, though, can blow J'ville out of the water easily, and I've made some pretty darned good ones from scratch myself.

I'm just appalled that a company-sponsored outfit such as toodie jane encountered would do such a lousy job of preparing and presenting these sausages. Not cooked right, supermarket whitebread buns...way to GO, Johnsonville!

[wayne keyser]

It's a marketing thing - somehow the idea caught on, and no amount of reality is gonna conquer the image.

[moto]

hello, toodie j., our preferred bratwurst is Niman ranch which are nitrate and chemical free from humanely raised pigs. I prepare it much like others have described, but use a robust beer to poach them, garlic and spices rather than onions in the 'broth', serve them with carmelized onions. They lose fat in both of the cooking stages, and I don't doubt that there's a regional taste preference at work, having lived in the midwest a time. Mainstream consumers there prefer simpler flavors and higher fat content,and carry the girth to prove it. From what you describe i think you'd love the Italian and Portuguese (incl. a Portuguese-Hawaiian) sausages made by Santi in Geyserville from Duroc 'heirloom' pigs, which are our favorites of all. cheers

[niki rothman]

Hi moto,
I am so happy to hear Niman has bratwursts! Hooray for humane treatment and no preservatives! Can't wait to get some. Could I ask you please what is your general recipe for preparing the brats? Which spices do you use? Maybe as this is not the proper board just give a very brief message and I'll further pollute things by asking if you know where near SF Niman sells them?
Thanks!

[saeyedoc]

I personally don't like them boiled first. This locks in the fat, by grilling them slowly, the fat will render off. Just a personal preferance.

[monkeyrotica]

I'm with you. I tend to smoke them with a little applewood, then put them in the beer with a little grilled onion to keep them warm. Tastes more meaty and less greasy.

But when I want a juicy brat, I do the reverse.

[Leper]

T.J., I had the good fortune of being stationed in Germany for several years. I doubt Johnsonville could execute a successful business plan over there with the product they offer. Locally, here in the Pacific Northwest, I've found several very good butchers that make their own that rival the Germans. Support your local butcher!

[Sharuf]

Leper -- were you in Frankfurt? Those are my bratwurst benchmark - a white, fine-ground pork sausage, grilled and served mit ein brotchen. Wunderbar!

[Leper]

Sharuf, Yep, Frankfurt it was. I've been back several times to visit those little Wurst stands in Sachsenhausen. Along with the great sausages are the best Pomme Frites I've ever had. Rumor is the secret to their taste is they are cooked in horse fat.

[Tee]

Oddly enough, I plan on having them tonight grilled outdoors. I too first boil them in beer and onions but I add butter too. I live in NC, not exactly sausage country, so a JV brat satisfies me for what it is.
Thanks a whole lot for making me hungry at 3:45 pm, TJ!

[Das Ubergeek]

Honestly, toodie jane, and I say this having spent years in the Midwest, I think it's at least half nostalgia, the way people from LA get misty-eyed over In-N-Out or people from New York have a Thing about Nathan's.

They *ARE* really good but only in the one preparation -- boiled in beer and onions, then grilled and eaten with brown mustard and sauerkraut on a cold, slightly sticky-in-the-mouth potato bun.

[niki rothman]

Doesn't boiling first remove any possible, and desireable, juiciness from something one is going to grill?

[ccbweb]

Not in this case, its the perfect way to prepare brats.

[Chief Seattle]

Just the opposite, actually. Boiling makes them really juicy, as the sausage sucks up some of the beer flavor.

[Bostonbob3]

Toddie Jane; "the home city 'o tri tip?" Just a sneaking suspicion, but that would be good old Santa Maria, right? Growing up, I spent more time in that Safeway than I did in my own home. (Plus, you replied to my 20 Mile Station post, so I've kind of placed you.:))

IMO, Johnsonville Brats make a fine breakfast sausage. But for tailgating/grilling/pigging out, I MUCH prefer a sausage with lots more spice and flavor; chorizo, linguica, anduille, etc.

Oh, and they have very little taste resemblance to real German bratwurst. Like I said, Johnsonville is more akin to a breakfast sausage taste.

[joypirate]

Speaking generally, isn't the difference between German bratwurst and Wisconsin-style bratwurst one of texture? The guy at the sausage store in my hometown (http://www.stoysich.com/) told me that the ingredients and spices are identical, but that the Wisconsin-style is ground more coarsely. He could have just been referring to they way they make them, but I got the impression he was speaking broadly.

And the sausages at that place are quite possibly the greatest sausages in the universe. To say nothing of the beef jerky.

[Bostonbob3]

Well, the bratwurst I've had in Germany were significantly less "sweet" than Johnsonville Brats. "Sweet" as in breakfast-sausagy. That said, there are some in Bavaria that have similar spicing. The texture varies wildly from region to region in Germany, although most are fine-ground just like a Johnsonville.

[pixlpi]

Toodie, I have had JV brats and thought they were very good. BUT! I have had Karl Ehmers(sp?)as well as other home made brats that were much better. I believe my relative soaked them in beer before grilling- maybe after too. Like KRath said, perhaps not prepared well- try again!

[BackyardChef]

Absolutely agree about K. Ehmers-- "the best of the wurst". They actually have some flavor, unlike the Jville brats....

[KRath]

OK, granted that a sausage in general is greasy. But in Wisconsin, where I come from, as do Johnsonville brats, people have a real reverance for them. The usual way of preparing them is to parboil them in beer to which sliced onions have been added. Then they are grilled, and, if making a large quantity, they are put back in the beer to stay warm. Some folks then top the brat with some of the onions. Like anything, a brat done to perfection is just that. I've also had them over-cooked in which case they taste like sawdust. Also, I think I am correct in saying that a brat bun is the proper carrier for the brat, not a cheap-o white bread air bun. While I would never make a steady diet of them, done well, they are fantastic. I hope you'll get to try one again some day, and that you'll see what I mean.

[thimes]

I too grew up in Wisconsin - never had a Johnsonville brat until I moved to Ohio decades later. I agree with the OP - meh . . .

We ate USINGERS! Now there is a REAL brat ;)

[erikka]

Which variety did you try? I grew up eating the beer and the cheese varieties--Johnsonville is HUGE in Minnesota/Wisconsin, nearly a cultural institution. I could probably still quote their commercials word-for-word. Maybe nostalgia makes them taste better but when I grilled last year they were pretty damn good--lighter and easier to eat than your standard real-deal bratwurst, especially for a summer affair. Boiled them in beer, grilled and served with sauerkraut--most of my friends (who had never tried them) loved them. I don't know if I'd compare them to chorizo (apples and oranges)--more like the hot dog version of bratwurst.