661848 Fri Oct 23 18:25:32 -0700 2009 70 12 Boston Area 0 5126540 Hi All - Thinking about making a pilgrimage from Concord Ma. to Saugus to pick up some smoked bacon and other delights from Karl's. What should we not miss? Haven't tried the triple smoked bacon, but love the regular smoked bacon. Triple smoked worth the take? How does one cook triple smoked bacon? Any Wurst's we should check out? Rost Bratwurts maybe? Polish sausage? Kielbasa? Plan on getting some smoked pork chops, as well as some liverwurst. Hot dog wise, how do Karl's stack up? What are Karl's Italian sausages like? Last question, mustard. Love most kinds of mustards, but we'd love you input on which to buy. Thanks All! Dewey Fri Oct 23 18:25:32 -0700 2009 24369 deweyweber54 1 5126664 Oh yeah, this a trip I need to make too! The triple smoked bacon....bury some thick slabs of it in sauerkraut along with several other pork products (the smoked chops you mention for example, or "hot dogs"). Don't forget a good splash of riesling and some juniper berries, and hmmmm, a choucroute worthy of a cold autumn night. Those smoky bacons go well with any kind of beans as well, green or dried. I have been looking for and have not seen in a long time, the headcheese (Suelzer) from Schaller & Weber. Karl always had this, I assume he still does. Try it, it's one of the best versions of this available around here. Not mustard, but get some curry ketchup and some fresh sausages (ask them which are best for) Currywurst. I know they have the ketchup there and almost any brat or the like will do. Add a good pile of curry powder on top too and you'll have a classic Berliner street-food dish. Been thinking about that one for a while too. Fri Oct 23 19:45:46 -0700 2009 5126540 25417 Zatan 2 5126694 I saw the Schaller & Weber headcheese at the Sudbury Farms store in Sudbury last Saturday. Fri Oct 23 20:04:41 -0700 2009 5126664 250819 skippy66 2 5132171 These people would be able to help Schaller & Weber of New England / Euroguild Specialty European ... www.euroguild.com 397 High Plain St Walpole, MA 02081 (508) 668-7221 Mon Oct 26 12:04:24 -0700 2009 5126664 51849 okra 1 5126839 If you don't mind shopping on line you might find every mustard you ever dreamed of tasting right here: http://www.mustardmuseum.com/ Have been ordering from them for years and have always had stellar service. Fri Oct 23 21:46:13 -0700 2009 5126540 14254 pasuga 1 5127158 I like the jagdwurst, pressed ham, veal loaf, nussschinken, schinkenspeck, and the dry cured hams. I don't think they make any of these at Karl's, but they're hard to find anywhere else. I just made chili with triple smoked bacon and hot Italian sausage from Karl's (and bison) and I liked it quite a bit. Sat Oct 24 06:51:08 -0700 2009 5126540 102066 almansa 1 5127360 The hot dogs are the mild pork kind, not kosher-style garlicky. The landjaeger hanging in pairs over the cash registers are worth having. They are normally eaten as is (think of them as alpine jerky) but I like to heat mine up a bit in, yes, the m-wave (just a few seconds). And the pork chops are da bomb. You get to choose how many you want cut. Sat Oct 24 08:36:44 -0700 2009 5126540 13819 Karl S 2 5127550 (with my lower lip trembling) Karl's thick cut smoked pork chops, I need a moment alone... Sat Oct 24 10:16:07 -0700 2009 5127360 10169 StriperGuy 3 5127695 If you can't be good, be neat. Sat Oct 24 11:37:59 -0700 2009 5127550 13819 Karl S 1 5127899 We just did this trip last weekend and filled our freezer. I am especially fond of the smoked Polish Kielbasa, which made a fantastic navy bean soup for that cold snap last weekend. The coarse bratwurst is excellent, with a nice rush of flavor from the caraway seeds. I also love their ring bologna and of course, the regular smoked bacon. I also adore their cold cuts, especially the veal loaf and the beerwurst and the pepperloaf. Sat Oct 24 13:21:47 -0700 2009 5126540 11243 mwk 1 5127911 Do you know if Karl's supplies the sausages for the Smokehouse in Norwell? Sat Oct 24 13:24:30 -0700 2009 5126540 11076 AGM_Cape_Cod 1 5130046 I live near Karl's, but for some reason am afraid to go in there. I know I like different sausages, keilbasa, chorico, etc... but is this place newbie friendly? I don't want to go in there asking questions and get the cold stare. :) Sun Oct 25 16:38:53 -0700 2009 5126540 203124 scorp508 2 5130072 Totally friendly...ask away. I'm certainly not particularly sausage-savvy, but have never felt intimidated. Sun Oct 25 16:48:04 -0700 2009 5130046 77061 bear 2 5131332 They absolutely could not be friendlier, to newbies and regulars alike. They are so enthusiastic about their products they are delighted to answer as many questions as you might have and they never ever rush you, no matter how busy it is. To AGM_Cape_Cod, no, they are completely unrelated to the Smokehouse in Norwell and the two outfits make identifiably different sausages, I can't really think of much overlap. Also they now have a web site that's a little sparse but helpful. http://www.karlssausage.com/ Mon Oct 26 07:51:14 -0700 2009 5130046 13756 GretchenS 3 5131398 The folks at Karl's are uber-friendly. The first time I went one woman stayed with me and helped me decide what I wanted...then ran all over the store getting the items and helped me decide which wursts and cheese I wanted. I didn't have to move a muscle except take out my wallet. Their liverwurst is phenomenal! Mon Oct 26 08:10:22 -0700 2009 5131332 75332 Gio 4 5131811 Strong second for the liverwurst. Mon Oct 26 10:13:03 -0700 2009 5131398 156718 drbangha 4 5132784 Thanks, everyone! Looks like a trip is in order. :) Mon Oct 26 15:33:30 -0700 2009 5131398 203124 scorp508 5 5136015 Just let me say, do not be intimidated... there will be people there who will order in German or any of several other languages. That's actually a very good thing. It tells you that what is sold at Karl's is like a trip back home. The folks behind the counter will help you find exactly what you want. Just ask. And no - I'm NOT connected. Tue Oct 27 18:18:12 -0700 2009 5132784 75332 Gio 4 5136752 Third the liverwurst!! It is fabulous, so fabulous that Karl's is the only one I'll eat. Wed Oct 28 05:38:15 -0700 2009 5131398 52166 jjbourgeois 1 5135856 Well after reading this entire thread I'm compelled to make the long journey to Karls and check it out. (I will now confess my long journey isn't so long. I have lived in Saugus for 18 years and pass Karls every day and must confess I have never stopped there.) Looking forward to the deliciousness. Tue Oct 27 17:18:16 -0700 2009 5126540 278138 hhookk 2 5136754 Let's us know what you get. Wed Oct 28 05:39:02 -0700 2009 5135856 52166 jjbourgeois 3 5137956 This may be common knowlege but they have a new "CSA" which has been a lot of fun. Its really more like a pre-paid "butcher's choice" but we have been very happy with what they have picked out and delivered. We've tried a lot of new stuff that we wouldn't have otherwise purchsed. For example, I had the hot-dogs last night and lets just say they were quite a bit different than oscar meyer- I might have them again tonight! Wed Oct 28 12:40:15 -0700 2009 5136754 156718 drbangha 4 5138173 I did this as well, but I disagree with the premise: he's not sourcing any local proteins; his claim is that since he's a local business, it follows that supporting him is akin to supporting local farmers. Of course, the flip side is that were he to source locally, you'd be pretty shocked at what eighty bucks gets you. Wed Oct 28 13:38:00 -0700 2009 5137956 102066 almansa 5 5138471 As a selfish person, I mostly do our vegetable CSA because 75% of the time it tastes so much better than the store bought stuff, so the fact that he doesn't source locally doesn't really bug me, although I agree with you that its not really a CSA in the ordinary sense of the word . . . . Wed Oct 28 15:24:43 -0700 2009 5138173 156718 drbangha 6 5138651 Please excuse my ignorance, but what is CSA? Wed Oct 28 16:20:23 -0700 2009 5138471 278138 hhookk 7 5138759 Community Sustainable Agriculture Wed Oct 28 16:55:23 -0700 2009 5138651 12603 ScubaSteve 8 5138815 Yes,, and to further explain the premise....The following site offers a good description: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ But a CSA does not have to be just vegetables. There are meat CSAs and this past summer we bought a share in a Northshore seafood CSF, Community Suported Fishery. It's a good way to insure you have locally raised produce, meat and freshly caught fish... Wed Oct 28 17:16:54 -0700 2009 5138759 75332 Gio 9 5138973 Right, but to speak to almansa's point, Karl's isn't offering a locally-sourced CSA. I still think it's a great idea (although won't join because I already can't keep up with the meat I get from my meat CSA, which, granted, comes from Vermont, not the strictly local area.) Karl's CSA is not supporting any local agriculture, so the term "CSA" is really being misused. People join CSAs for a variety of reasons, but one of the selling points is usually to help support the local farmer, and keep the property being used for farmland, not subdivisions. I wish they'd use a different term for it, but I do think it's a great idea and do wish them success. Wed Oct 28 18:23:17 -0700 2009 5138815 10027 Chris VR 10 5139002 I think also that many who join CSAs frown (rightly imho) on corporate agribusiness, and Karl's uses commodity pork: Smithfield, IBP, Hatfield, Amity, etc. Were he to make an arrangement with even a large scale operation like Beeler's, or use Du Breton out of Canada, I'd feel better about it and would probably join in a heartbeat. I did join this year, and whatever's not in the freezer I've mostly given away to friends. But I've had fun cooking it all. Wed Oct 28 18:34:55 -0700 2009 5138973 102066 almansa 11 5139423 If Karl's used non-agribusiness meat their prices would likely double or triple. I think just having an old school smokehouse that uses fairly artisanal techniques on their own is pretty amazing and rare and worthy in it's own right. If they used more politically correct meat they would price half their customers out of the market and everything would probably be $25 a pound. I would love someone to prove me wrong on the last statement but I imagine it is probably pretty accurate. Wed Oct 28 23:13:05 -0700 2009 5139002 10169 StriperGuy 12 5140316 You're absolutely right. Thu Oct 29 09:47:02 -0700 2009 5139423 102066 almansa 1 5163923 Hi All - Thank you for all of your input - much appreciated! Finally made our pilgrimage to Karl's today, and here's what we picked up: Smoked Bacon. Didn't try the triple smoked as it looks kinda gnarly, and not sure what we'd use it in. Someday. Rost Bratswurst. Liverwurst. Fine, not coarse. One of our favorites, much better than Mother Goose. Thanks! Smoked Polish Sausage. Not sure how we're going to use this, but temptation ruled. Chorizo. Huh? Chorizo from a german butcher? Looked too good to pass up. Smoked Pork Chops. OK, taking a deep breath. Our total favorite at Karl's. Anyone have a good recipe for their smoked chops? Apple ciderish or something? Thanks All! Dewey Sat Nov 07 15:46:01 -0800 2009 5126540 24369 deweyweber54 2 5163936 The pork is destined for Rippchen mit Kraut in some way. Since they are smoked as well as cured, they are Kasseler (or Kassler) Rippchen, as opposed to Frankfurter Rippchen, which are cured but not smoked, but often served in a similar way, with seasoned sauerkraut and potato puree. Use good sauerkraut, please, not stuff from a can. Example (please search for more to your liking): http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ubbs/archive/GERMANandAUSTRIAN/Kasseler_Rippchen_mit_Kraut_Smoked_Pork_Ribs_with_Sauerkraut.html Sat Nov 07 15:52:32 -0800 2009 5163923 13819 Karl S 2 5164180 Yes, as above in my comment about the smoky bacon, braising them in sauerkraut is a winning situation, just use a good one and add some wine and spices as suit you (caraway or juniper would be good). They are particularly suited to braising I think, though you could brown them ahead of time to add another dimension. Sat Nov 07 18:20:04 -0800 2009 5163923 25417 Zatan 2 5164328 Recipe idea: reduce apple cider with a touch of brown sugar, some crystalized ginger and rosemary to a syrup; add meat stock of choice, reduce and finish with butter. Sat Nov 07 19:47:34 -0800 2009 5163923 102066 almansa 2 5164483 I'm late in replying, but as a Polish girl who grew up on Polish deli kielbasa (Hillshire Farms is NEVER allowed in our house), I wanted to comment on Karls. I found the smoked kielbasa at Karls a little too salty, and not garlicky enough. But then again, I like super garlicky kielbasa. But, while I was there, they were making fresh kielbasa -- which I waited for. If you haven't had fresh kielbasa, it's basically a fresh sausage, not smoked. Karls' was outstanding. Now, how to cook kielbasa. Traditionally, prick the skin and boil. Grilling is always an option. But my favorite way to cook -- and now standard go to way -- oil up the sausage (fresh or smoked) with olive oil. Throw in a roasting pan and prick the skin a lot. Throw into a hot oven -- 400 ish and roast for 45 minutes or so, or as Julia Child says, cook until you smell it. You can eat it hot, room temp or cold. Sat Nov 07 22:12:51 -0800 2009 5163923 156939 nomadgirl 3 5164630 Market Basket in Reading has fresh kielbasa available year-round on most days. Fresh kielbasa is my favorite fresh sausage. It's hard to find a version that has the right coarseness and amount of gristle (gristle is important in certain sausages). Be fearless with the garlic, and it's nice to notice the marjoram (the traditional herbal flavor). I never prick the skin: I poach at no more than a simmer, than slice into thick slices and brown slowly over low heat for a long time. Sun Nov 08 04:26:13 -0800 2009 5164483 13819 Karl S 2 5176454 The smoked Polish Sausage makes a fantastic addition to a navy bean soup. Or, I will just buy a bag of the 15-bean soup mix at the market and add a can of diced tomatoes and one diced Karl's smoked kielbasa to the mix and let it simmer for an hour or two. I've also used the smoked polish sausage for one of my favorite simple dishes, fried cabbage and kielbasa. Just take half a head of cabbage, slice thinly and fry in some butter until slightly brown. Add the sliced sausage and cook until the sausage is done. Thu Nov 12 12:50:22 -0800 2009 5163923 11243 mwk 1 5176769 Karls rules! We went this past Saturday and the place was *mobbed*. I would recommend going on a weekday, but keep in mind they're closed on Mondays. They're very friendly and will tell you how to prepare the sausages/meats. This past visit I got one very thick smoked pork chop, smoked polish sausage, chorizo, lots of bacon (regular), smoked ham, pickled herring. I've gotten in the past their (excuse spelling!) weiswurst, liverwurst (course and fine - we like them both), andoille, fresh polish sausage, fresh breakfast sausage, bratwurst, hot dogs, bologna. We were not fond of the hot dogs - too mild almost. Everything else has been a hit. I must add that they try to warn customers that their andoille and chorizo are hot - they are not. But, the chorizo is nothing like what you'd get in Fall River or New Bedford - at Karl's the meat is minced and does not taste like true Portuguese chorizo. But, it's still very good! They also have all sorts of mustards, cheeses, candies, bread from those Swedish bakeries in Worcester...etc. Thu Nov 12 14:07:28 -0800 2009 5126540 38538 nlg 2 5177324 After seeing this incredible long thread, we're going to make the trek out there this weekend, I think. Well, I'm sure of it. My husband is adamant that we have to go! We have driven by it countless times and sometimes it's open and sometimes it's not...used to be sort of a joke for us when we were heading to the beach in the summer. But the Web site looks like they have some consistent hours, which is comforting. :) And o, my mouth has been watering after reading the wonderful reviews! Thu Nov 12 17:40:37 -0800 2009 5176769 26179 crystallyn 3 5177489 Yay- you'll love it! It's almost overwhelming, especially if you're not used to German butchers. Even after a dozen or so trips there, I still stand there like an idiot in front of the case, so print out some recommendations from this thread. (hint: bacon bacon bacon- get both and do a taste test!) Thu Nov 12 18:57:05 -0800 2009 5177324 10027 Chris VR 4 5177518 My 1/2 German husband would drive to the end of the planet for Karl's sausage. Thankfully we live in Melrose. Go, you will not regret it. Thu Nov 12 19:18:26 -0800 2009 5177489 16991 kate used to be 50 3 5178518 You will have a much wider selection if you get there Saturday morning, the sausage case can get kind of empty by afternoon since they are closed Sunday and Monday. Fri Nov 13 08:00:52 -0800 2009 5177324 13756 GretchenS 1 5177751 Can I get a liverwurst that actually tastes like liver here? 'Cause I'd travel for that. The "deli" liverwursts are much blander than I remember from my childhood, and I'm really craving a good liverwurst and swiss on pumpernickel. Thu Nov 12 21:37:42 -0800 2009 5126540 68464 sablemerle 2 5182839 The liverwurst does have a deep flavor and was a highlight of my trip, just edging out the smoked bacon. Sun Nov 15 06:49:29 -0800 2009 5177751 1100808 bizkat 1 5177972 One tip for Karl's fans. Danish Pastry House with Watertown and Medford locations does amazing German style 7 and 12 grain breads. Super dense like a cinder block full of seeds and grains. They sell similar pre-sliced in packets at Karl's and the Supermarket but these are WAY better, and the perfect foil for anything from Karl's. I even suggested to the people at Karl's that they should carry these products. The rest of the goods at DPH are not that noteworthy but those breads alone are worth the trip. Fri Nov 13 01:18:54 -0800 2009 5126540 10169 StriperGuy 1 5178442 I'm a little late but I lived in Germany for seven years and Karls is so wonderful and totally authentic! As far as currywurst it's best with bratwurst and you also need some good brochen to go with it which goes fast at Karls (usually gone by the early afternoon)....very traditional German meal. It's very easy to make your own curry ketchup if you have curry......and ketchup on hand :-) They have some decent mustards there, all are the good/grainy type. Fri Nov 13 07:37:03 -0800 2009 5126540 1123604 BellatrixStar 2 5178574 Actually, while I love the grainy mustards, my favorite one that they carry is the Lion brand (Loewen) which is a smooth, sinus-clearing HOT mustard. Fri Nov 13 08:15:51 -0800 2009 5178442 18512 Allstonian 3 5178582 I'll have to try that...especially since I do feel some sort of cold coming on :-/ 'tis the season but thank you for that. I'm definitely open to try it! Fri Nov 13 08:17:51 -0800 2009 5178574 1123604 BellatrixStar 3 5185243 Is this the "Loewensenf Extra" brand? The one with the red label and lion on the bottle? If so, I completely concur ... a friend mules this back from Germany but it's comforting to know there is a local source. Mon Nov 16 08:00:12 -0800 2009 5178574 10232 yumyum 4 5185378 Yep, that's the stuff. I was browsing around a little grocer's shop and got Barmy a small jar as a gift the last time I was in Germany (too long ago!) and I really loved it myself. Was very happy to find it at Karl's though the price was kind of stunning (I wanna say 6 or 7 dollars for a pretty small jar.) Still, it's worth it - Loewensenf is one of my very favorite mustards. Mon Nov 16 08:45:39 -0800 2009 5185243 18512 Allstonian 5 5185411 I'm pretty sure it was between $4.50 and $5. Mon Nov 16 08:55:36 -0800 2009 5185378 111910 jgg13 6 5185456 It must have come down in price then - which would be lovely! My visit to Karl's was quite some time ago (looks like over 2 years!), and imports were running very high in price because of the lousy state of the US$. Mon Nov 16 09:05:24 -0800 2009 5185411 18512 Allstonian 7 5185627 Don't quote me on that though :) I picked up two jars of mustard the other day - that one (based on your post about it ... tasty stuff! I forget the brand of the other one, I was just pattern matching off of the label as I knew I liked it. Anyhoo, point being that I was pretty sure both of them were around $4.50 something. Mon Nov 16 09:53:23 -0800 2009 5185456 111910 jgg13 7 5185772 I believe they changed hands about 2 years ago, and perhaps the new management adjusted some of that pricing. Mon Nov 16 10:39:47 -0800 2009 5185456 10027 Chris VR 1 5185117 Here's a silly question ... how long will the triple smoked bacon keep? Presumably the answer is "a really long time", I mean, that's meat is smoked ... but how long is long? Mon Nov 16 07:16:45 -0800 2009 5126540 111910 jgg13 2 5185170 "how long is long?" I would say nearly indefinitely in a cool dry place. Certainly 6-12 months. Mon Nov 16 07:34:16 -0800 2009 5185117 10169 StriperGuy 3 5185205 That's what I figured, just wanted to make sure. Mon Nov 16 07:46:29 -0800 2009 5185170 111910 jgg13 2 5195494 another question on the triple smoked ... can I pretty much use it in any dish where I'd normally use a smoky, slab bacon? It looks pretty dried out, I'm afraid it'd end up being too tough to chew on. Thu Nov 19 20:19:00 -0800 2009 5185117 111910 jgg13 3 5196047 I use it more as a flavor ingredient (stews etc.) It's not really something you would want to fry up and eat with pancakes. Fri Nov 20 06:45:25 -0800 2009 5195494 10169 StriperGuy 4 5196063 I figured the latter :) I was definitely picturing it more in stews, braises and the like but wasn't sure if it'd end up something that was pleasant to eat or if it'd be along the lines of say a ham hock where you take it out at the end. Fri Nov 20 06:51:14 -0800 2009 5196047 111910 jgg13 5 5196117 I slice it up and throw it in stew. Once it's cooked you can certainly eat it. Fri Nov 20 07:08:53 -0800 2009 5196063 10169 StriperGuy 6 5196123 Cool. I was just afraid that it'd still be tough, hard, overly chewy - but could also picture it absorbing liquid and getting pretty nice to eat. Fri Nov 20 07:11:27 -0800 2009 5196117 111910 jgg13 7 5196152 I think you could probably even fry it and eat it like regular bacon. It's not THAT tough. But for eating, their regular is plenty smokey for me. Fri Nov 20 07:26:58 -0800 2009 5196123 10169 StriperGuy 7 5196195 You can use it as you would regular bacon. I made BLT's and bacon cheese burgers this past weekend with it, but I've used it in salads and omelets as well. My main reason I buy the triple smoked bacon is it works really well when making baked beans. Fri Nov 20 07:42:53 -0800 2009 5196123 11222 Infomaniac 8 5196214 Mmmmm. Can you share your recipe? Been thinking of making some for a while. Thx. Fri Nov 20 07:51:11 -0800 2009 5196195 10169 StriperGuy 9 5196487 Yeah, that sounds tasty Fri Nov 20 10:02:53 -0800 2009 5196214 111910 jgg13 10 5196593 I use this recipe from Yankee Magazine http://www.yankeemagazine.com/recipe/for/baked-beans/561 As you can see in the reader reviews, someone suggest adding smoked bacon for added flavor. Adding the triple smoked bacon from Karl's made this good baked bean recipe a winner for me. Fri Nov 20 11:00:07 -0800 2009 5196487 11222 Infomaniac 11 5196664 Cool. Thanks. Fri Nov 20 11:30:34 -0800 2009 5196593 10169 StriperGuy 12 5196742 I've been using this recipe as well and I think Karl's regular bacon or triple smoked would be fabulous in it. Fri Nov 20 12:00:02 -0800 2009 5196664 38538 nlg 1 5204121 You have to try the liverwurst. Fine is a lot better than the coarse. It is the best anywhere. The crud that you get in supermarkets doesn't even come close. They make it themselves and it is awesome. Their landerjaeger is really really good too. I like the softer fresher ones. I've tried various sausages and they have all been good. Their bratwurst is as good as any in the Boston area. The people are nice. Some of the counter clerks are German and can appear to be reserved but ask them questions and they warm up instantly. Mon Nov 23 19:45:26 -0800 2009 5126540 171774 bostonbeefeater