Wisconsinites Select Bratwursts To Match Moods And Heritage

Now that grilling season has returned, Wisconsinites are carefully selecting among an amazingly large variety of bratwursts to grill. A brat is a brat, (or egad! -a very rude child) to the out-a-state'r, but Wisconsin gourmets are matching their bratwurst sausages to their moods. The bolder among us are going for Cajun, and jalapeno-spiced bratwursts. Those who savor the savory are choosing among apple, onion, and garlic-flavored bratwursts. The health-minded have chicken brats in mind, -considering both plain chicken and the tomato-basil chicken. Meanwhile, Wisconsin cheeseheads and Badgers are lured by brats mixed with Wisconsin cheeses, such as mushroom Swiss brats, cheddar brats, and bell pepper with mozzarella brats. And we who enjoy beer (aka, bratwash) in brats as well as with them are choosing the red lager beer brats and the smoked beer brats.
"All this variety is fine for nouveaux-Wisconsinites," traditionalists say, but they stand-by the tried-n-true bratwursts of Wisconsin's German heritage. Loyalties divide between Bavaria, and Sheboygan, America's self-proclaimed bratwurst capital. Sheboygan bratwursts, made with ground pork, beef, and traditional seasonings, go head-to-head with the flavor of Bavaria Kaiser brats made of beef, fine cuts of ham, Old World spices and are slowly smoked.
And lastly, there are those among us who go beyond the bratwurst. Sausage aficionados questing for the taste of Germany revel in Bavaria Munich weisswurst (a white sausage made of veal, and not a bratwurst at all). My Bavarian friend delights in these weisswursts and serves them warmed gently in water on the stove-top, (NEVER grilled which splits the casing and spills the flavorful juices into the fire!). A Wisconsinmade.com customer who buys our Nurnberg sausages (we call them brats, but they are really a type of sausage in a class all their own) wrote to us, "I love your bratwurst. I have been to many European markets since I left Germany, but I have finally found the true taste of Nurnberg! I lived in Nurnberg for 5 years and lived on bratwurst and sauerkraut. I live in N.Y. now, but I'm eating German again! Thank you very much!!"
Click on these instructions to learn how to grill, steam, fry, or broil Wisconsin's popular State Street brats.
Looking for more bratwurst recipes? Try these: Beer Mustard Bratwurst, and Bratwurst with braised, red cabbage. Also try Bratwurst strata which combines brats, cheese, and bread. It can be made ahead of time and served with beer at party time!

Read more about brats at Madison, Wisconsin's Memorial Day Weekend Brat Fest!