Dry Brats - Help

[chunkygravy]

Looking for some hints on how to make Brats less dry.  I attempted to make them for the first time and the taste was there, but they needed some moisture once cooked and eaten.  I used:

3 lbs pork butt w/ fat kept on.

2 lbs lean veal

3 Tbs salt

2 egg whites

Plus various spices for flavor.

Brats.jpg

• chunkygravy
• Mar 3, 2014

I've seen people add beer and water to the mixture. Or perhaps I needed more fat?  Looking for ideas for my next batch.

Thanks,

CG

 

[mdboatbum]

 Add 1lb of fat back and most importantly add a cup of nonfat dry milk powder. The milk powder will act as a binder allowing the moisture to stay in the sausage rather than squeezing out so easily. Also cook them slowly and gently.

 

[bkleinsmid]

I agree........about 1 lb more of fat. Makes all the difference.....

Brad

 

[rexlan]

If it were me I would just leave the veal out and the egg whites.  I don't think it adds anything to the brats except cost .... then you don't need the extra fat, if you have a good fatty butt to work with but a little extra is good ... 25% is nice sausage.

I would use the NFPM as Mdboatbum said.

 

[voodoochile]

I make venison brats 1/2 venison 1/2 pork butts and they seem to have plenty of fat and are not dry .

Do your pork butts have a good mix of lean and fat ?

 

[bigwheel]

Never made none using milk and eggs..lol. Would start out leaving that out. What is veal?  Hope that is not the poor little cows who never get to go outside and play with their pals. That aint right. Sub that out for two more pounds of pork and you will be ready to rumble  I like salt at the rate of 1.5 teaspoons per pound..so that is bound to be how everybody likes it huh? It also needs to be cooked right to make it nice and tender and juicy.

 

[boykjo]

Your meat to fat ratio was too lean. Next time I would separate the fat from the lean then make your meat mixture 70/30 to 80/20. Find a local butcher and see if you can get a few pounds of pork fat............. I like the veal in the sausage. too bad its so expensive. When I see it marked down I try to add it to my sausage.... Poor little guys sure do taste good.............

 

 

[bigwheel]

I cant imagine the flavor of veal in a sausage to be much if any superior to pork.  The stuff is tasteless. Thats why Eyetalians eat it.

 

[foamheart]

 
Your meat to fat ratio was too lean. Next time I would separate the fat from the lean then make your meat mixture 70/30 to 80/20. Find a local butcher and see if you can get a few pounds of pork fat............. I like the veal in the sausage. too bad its so expensive. When I see it marked down I try to add it to my sausage.... Poor little guys sure do taste good.............

 

Veal Brats, that's the only kind my Mommy lets me chew! Mmmmmmm........

 

[jbfab]

The recipe I had calls for phosphate.  Mine seemed to be pretty juicy.  Phosphate (much like dried milk powder) serves to hold moisture in the meat.  They sell it at the sausage source for about $12/lb.  I think 8 oz. does 100lbs of sausage, so a of phosphate should last a good while!

 

[darwin101]

Try adding a bit more fat, beef stock or demi glace.  Free range veal is very tasty ;)