Bratwurst ??

Does anyone know a good place to buy authentic German-style brats or mets locally?
Getting tired of the "Old-Folks/Johnsonville" types and just looking for something different. Thanks.

The folks at Preferred Meats in Sellersburg make an excellent German-style brat. Freshly make each week, they are some of the best I've found in the area. http://www.preferredmeatsinc.com/

Almost as important, who makes a good brötchen to cradle the brat?

I don't know how authentic they are, but I had some Harned Ranch Beef Brats I got at the farmer's market over the weekend and they were fantastic. I personally like to boil brats in beer first and then finish them on the grill

David,

Not truly local, but if you find youself in Cincy, Kroegers Meats in the Findlay Market has a superb selection of German Brats and Mets- both smoked and un-smoked. The orignal owner was trained as a Master Sausage maker in Germany before coming to Cincy in the '70's. The market's only 1.25 hours from our East End and well-worth a day-trip. http://www.findlaymarket.org/merchants/kroeger

Deb

I don't know how authentic they are, but I had some Harned Ranch Beef Brats I got at the farmer's market over the weekend and they were fantastic. I personally like to boil brats in beer first and then finish them on the grill

We got some from them at the Oxmoor farmers market would certainly agree they were very good! Boiling them in beer is certainly the way to go! Have you tried any other meat from them?

Mark,
We buy meat from Harned on a regular basis and love it! In fact, last night's dinner was a tri-tip roast from Harned ( about 2 lbs). Marinated in balsamic, fresh rosemary and garlic; it was fantastic!
Deb

Having lived in the northern "Brat Zone" (MN/WI/SD) for almost 20 years, I can tell you that traditional Bratwurst is a mixture of (approx) 50% veal and 50% pork...No beef. "Today's" Bratwurst, at least the brands most people associate with when they hear the word "Brat", (Johnsonville, etc) are almost exclusively 100% pork. (Oh and what the hell is up with these (Purnell ?) "White" Bratwurst they sell around here ???....nasty-nasty looking stuff).

I've been making "Brat Burgers" for years....a pound of ground pork, a pound of ground veal...a heaping helping of Penzy's Bratwurst Seasoning (from Wisconsin no less), mix it up, pat out some burger patties and away ya go.

Having lived in the northern "Brat Zone" (MN/WI/SD) for almost 20 years, I can tell you that traditional Bratwurst is a mixture of (approx) 50% veal and 50% pork...No beef. "Today's" Bratwurst, at least the brands most people associate with when they hear the word "Brat", (Johnsonville, etc) are almost exclusively 100% pork. (Oh and what the hell is up with these (Purnell ?) "White" Bratwurst they sell around here ???....nasty-nasty looking stuff).

Actually the white bratwurst they sell around here is fairly close to the "White Hots" we used to have in Rochester New York! They're not really a bratwurst but they're also not your traditional hot dog. They were normally 100% pork (sometimes some veal) and people bought them and cooked them just like hot dogs! Lots of places carried packs that were called "Red and White" which had half of each. You need to try them!

Actually I'd say Johnsonville Brats approximate very closely the vast majority of standard bratwurst you will find in German grocery stores nationwide, probably better than average even. They're certainly much better than the "street meat" brats you'll find in most stalls at the market (most of these are loaded with chemicals). Generally you need to know a really good butcher to get the "real" ones vs standard supermarket or street fare.

The most famous brats (Nürnberger and Thüringer) are usually all pork. If they have 50% Veal they can be called Kalbsbratwurst (Kalb = Veal).

Hmmmm....... wonder what I should get for lunch today.......

This is where I miss Mike's Best . . . he made authentic sausages, any type. You could get a REAL original brat, one made without pork (if you didn't want pork), one with less salt (if diet restrictions), et al. He will be missed.

Frank's on Preston has several varieties of sausage in his freezer, but I have never seen them in the fresh case. Krogers in southern Indiana carries Wolf's weiners, a locally produced hot dog. They sell for five bucks pound and the spicy version is a favorite of mine.

Frank's on Preston has several varieties of sausage in his freezer, but I have never seen them in the fresh case. Krogers in southern Indiana carries Wolf's weiners, a locally produced hot dog. They sell for five bucks pound and the spicy version is a favorite of mine.

I agree. The Weiner King reigns supreme around here. Scott Trowbridge owns Allen's Market in Palmyra, IN. He purchased the WK name (Trade Mark?) from Wennings Meat some time ago. His natural casing weiners are excellent and the spicy ones are the best. His hamburger is also phenomenal. He sells through Kroger/JC and also at the store in Palmyra.

Doh....missed the part where he said "German-Style" brat....NO idea what the difference is between those and the old-fashioned Wisconsin style brat that I'm familiar with. BTW, I talked to a friend who previously worked in a Wisconsin packing house and he told me the ratio of pork to veal in the typical mid-western Brat -used- to be around 30% (plus or minus, depending on the producer). He also told me that as tastes have changed and the price of veal has risen that many small producers have also gone to 100% pork.