August 16 marks the beginning of the Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus, in Ohio, considered the Bratwurst Capital of America. Top city chef Ramasamy Selvaraju shares a simple recipe of the sausage that comprises veal, pork or beef
>> Remove the artificial casing from the package and rinse two or three times in luke warm water to remove salt. You can simply form patties with your bratwurst, or stuff it into casings. This will be easier to do if you have a sausage stuffer, but it's not necessary. Many meat grinders have sausage stuffer attachments available. Prior to stuffing the casings, do not refrigerate the sausage, or it will make your job much more difficult. The casing should be full but not full enough to burst when you begin to form links. With practice, you'll be able to fill each casing with the right amount every time.
>> Now, form sausage links. First, press your forefinger and thumb together, making a slight indent in the sausage about every 6 inches. Then, at each indent, twist 3 or 4 turns. Be careful not to tear the
casings.
>> Cook the sausage. Bratwurst is not a cured sausage, so it needs to be cooked before you serve it. You can either grill it or fry it. It should be cooked immediately after you make it, or refrigerated for up to a day before cooking. Before you cook it, make sure to pierce it with a fork, or it could explode. Serve in the traditional way, or with cheese, relish, or saut ufffded onions.
Ingredients:u00a0
4 lbs. ground pork (can substitute beef with 20% fat content)
1 lb. ground veal (can substitute pork or beef)
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup non-fat-dry milk
1/2 cup water
Casings (33-36mm sheep casings/ or artificial sausage casings )
Meat grinder
Sausage stuffer
