Best Bratwurst?
I am having a bbq and want to serve the right things. Who makes the best Brat and why?
Thanks!!
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17 Comments:
Find a local butcher/meat shop/grocery store that makes their own. They'll most likely taste better and won't be full of preservatives and other crap.
deeoh1 at 11:06AM on 07/24/08
Ok, these aren't technically brats, but a friend brought me some sausages from Trader Joe's that were sensational. They have some great ingredients, like chicken or turkey with spinach and/or cheese. Get a variety. Try it, you'll like it!
PerkyMac at 11:14AM on 07/24/08
I'm from Wisconsin and we eat alot of brats here. Usingers are good, if you can get them, but around here, we're all big Johnsonville fans. I don't like a mealy tasting brat and that's typically what you get with the others. I guess perservatives taste good (when talking about brats).
kcogswell at 11:23AM on 07/24/08
Johnsonville. Anything else is just a sausage.
LiveToEat at 11:31AM on 07/24/08
I second the opinion on Johnsonville. I know they must be chock full of stuff that isn't the best for me - but when I want a brat, I want a Johnsonville!
Maureen at 11:37AM on 07/24/08
I grew up eating brats every week.
My best suggestion is to visit your local German or Bravarian butcher.
And if they have it; I HIGHLY suggest a Weisswurst brat. It's lean veal and white in colour. Very silky texture and an AMAZING flavour if the quality is right. Good luck at the BBQ!
hungrychristel at 11:56AM on 07/24/08
Johnsonville is the brat benchmark. Louie's Finer meats in Cumberland Wi. has a vast array of brats in many flavors. It is also the mecca for meat. Once you go there you will be hooked.
chazmo at 12:26PM on 07/24/08
@LiveToEat; You got it! Johnsonville is the best. The Beer n Brats version are my favorite.
jonfoxx at 12:51PM on 07/24/08
The best brats I ever had were from a sausage shop in Wisconsin. I'd drive up there from Chicago a couple times a year and go crazy buying sausages and cheeses and smoked meats. Alas, now I'm a bit too far for that drive.
The local butcher has lovely cuts of meat, but I haven't been overly impressed with his sausages. The local grocers do carry some Johnsonville products, sometimes, so that's my choice.
dbcurrie at 1:08PM on 07/24/08
If you happen to be near Kenosha, WI (halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee), I'm a big fan of the Brat Stop. You can eat in or bring raw ones home with you.
Otherwise, go with Johnsonville. It's the standard.
capndesign at 1:14PM on 07/24/08
I lived my first 29 years about 5 miles from The Brat Stop and they are indeed an excellent brat. Obviously Wisconsin is all about brats.
chazmo at 1:44PM on 07/24/08
This is a -1 for Johnsonville. Bland, tasteless and full of go knows what. Find a local butcher that makes them if you want a brat that's full of win.
thepirateking at 2:17PM on 07/24/08
Usinger Sausage makes about the best brat around (and they ship). If you don't have a local German butcher shop, and if you choose not to contact Usingers, Johnsonville makes a pretty good substiute. Why Usingers - they're meaty, not "mealy" and have a good spice mix.
bubbamom at 2:52PM on 07/24/08
I'm a big fan of Usinger's brats - and I have to heartily second the vote for Weisswurst. It is juicy, meaty, and spiced gorgeously. Yum.
BangieB at 3:57PM on 07/24/08
Johnsonville brats......simmered in some dark beer with sliced onions....then browned on the grill !!!
onepercent99 at 4:35PM on 07/24/08
Mmm... Just like Onepercent - Johnsonvilles only, simmered, then grilled.
Tara Tot at 9:57AM on 07/25/08
Brats- Johnsonville included- are one of the few forms of sausage not-filled-with-you-know-what. I was recently diagnosed with an allergy to meat preservatives- read:nitrites and nitrates. Bratwurst are one of the only forms of sausage I can eat because they are a fresh sausage- not cured and well-preserved. They're usually frozen for freshness instead.
Definitely hunt down a Johnsonville for a real brat, as a runner-up, Klements also makes a decent brat. If you're hunting down a butcher who makes one- make sure you specify "like a Johnsonville". Brats here in Wisconsin have a coarse grind to them- which adds to the experience. I've had way too many bad brats that were more like a "wurst" or a hot dog with a finely ground filling. Sorry, that's not a brat- it may be a delicious sausage, but it's certainly not a brat.
ErikaWaz at 10:11AM on 07/26/08