# And now....BRAUNSCHWEIGER!



## couger78 (Apr 16, 2012)

I thought I’d take a stab at making something both my wife & I really enjoy: smoked liverwurst (_“Braunschweiger”_).

Most recipes I’ve come across use pork liver, pork jowls, other innards, etc—but I found that pork liver is next to impossible to get here. So I found a recipe that uses a combination of pork shoulder, lean beef & chicken livers that sounded appealing.

Cubed & well-chilled (near-frozen) meats…








After the grind, I’ll add these ingredients…







*Two fine grinds* with a 3.0mm plate. The first…







After near-freezing the first grind, time for the second time through the grinder… _*“Liver spaghetti” anyone?*_







Add the ingredients and do a thorough mixing. It definitely has a nice ‘liverwurst’ aroma… 







Once stuffed into casings, I poached all the chubs at 165° for about 90 minutes, until the IT hit the 150° mark. The chubs then got a quick –cool ice bath and I hung them overnight in the fridge. No poaching pix as I was up to my elbows in bologna at the time...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





*NEXT DAY*: Into a warm smoker (110°) to dry for an hour before applying a heavy application of hickory smoke. I’ll give the chubs about 3 hours of smoke with no additional heat. One hour into the smoke...







Hang ‘em overnight to get well-chilled in the fridge. 







Tomorrow, we’ll slice & sample…

_*More to come. *_

Kevin


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## solaryellow (Apr 16, 2012)

It isn't my thing, but yours looks great Kevin!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


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## werdwolf (Apr 17, 2012)

I'm in for that sliced view, this may have to go on my list.


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## alelover (Apr 17, 2012)

Looking good. I remember as a kid having liverwurst and relish sandwiches. Can't wait to see the sliced shots.


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## smokinhusker (Apr 17, 2012)

Yummy! Can't wait for the slicing and tasting!


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## couger78 (Apr 17, 2012)

*Sample time!*

I was glad to see how nice & firm the braunschweiger turned out! It sliced beautifully into tender slices—NOT mushy!

Pleasing smokey taste with a subtle 'liver' flavor that even most 'liver haters' would enjoy...

My wife gave it a BIG thumbs-up. Put a dab of mustard with a slice on a cracker.

Very tasty! This ones' a keeper!! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Kevin


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## roller (Apr 17, 2012)

Very nice looks like you hit the nail on the head...I am making some Chedder Cheese right now that would go good with that in about 6 months....


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## werdwolf (Apr 17, 2012)

Words not necessary, but WOW!


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## alelover (Apr 17, 2012)

Looks like it came out great.


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## frosty (Apr 17, 2012)

Beautiful!  The texture looks perfect, and I bet it was world class!  Outstanding!


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## pops6927 (Apr 17, 2012)

My dad carried "Tobin-Arpaeko  Braunschweiger" in his meatcase and not many liked it, but I sure did!  It was smooth and delicious and spicy and I'd take it up for my lunch and make a couple sandwiches, of course with brown mustard and big slices of Texas onion, sprinkle with coarse-ground black pepper from the giant peppermill a vendor gave us, and you had a tough time waking up to git back downstairs to work, believe me!  And, the best part, they'd put me out back stringing custom hams and bacons and unloading and loading the smokehouses, a job I thoroughly enjoyed, vs. waiting on customers, and more than likely running into a couple of my teachers that lived in town who'd tattle on me, lol.... I was out-of-sight and out-of mind until closing, then no one else would talk to "Mr. Onion-Breath" lol!  It used to come in a plastic yellow wrap and we'd slice right through it, either by hand or on the slicer.

One thing, though - I've never had it made with chicken livers, only pork livers.  Is it still the same?


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## couger78 (Apr 17, 2012)

Quote:


Pops6927 said:


> My dad carried "Tobin-Arpaeko  Braunschweiger" in his meatcase and not many liked it, but I sure did!  It was smooth and delicious and spicy and I'd take it up for my lunch and make a couple sandwiches, of course with brown mustard and big slices of Texas onion, sprinkle with coarse-ground black pepper from the giant peppermill a vendor gave us, and you had a tough time waking up to git back downstairs to work, believe me!  And, the best part, they'd put me out back stringing custom hams and bacons and unloading and loading the smokehouses, a job I thoroughly enjoyed, vs. waiting on customers, and more than likely running into a couple of my teachers that lived in town who'd tattle on me, lol.... I was out-of-sight and out-of mind until closing, then no one else would talk to "Mr. Onion-Breath" lol!  It used to come in a plastic yellow wrap and we'd slice right through it, either by hand or on the slicer.
> 
> One thing, though - I've never had it made with chicken livers, only pork livers.  Is it still the same?


Great story, Pops! You make it sound like a real treat!

My recollections of liverwurst are however, shall we say, less than exhilarating.

I envision cold, grey slabs of mushy liver paste wedged between two soggy pieces of wonder bread in my childhood lunchbox....ugh! And the smell? ugh again!

Now I do like liver—fried up with bacon & onions, or in a nice homemade farmer's pate'— but since I'm married to a braunschweiger fan, the writing was on the wall...

I really do like this recipe. *The Chicken livers ARE much milder than pork*, and much, much milder than beef liver. You can definitely taste the liver, but it doesnt dominate the overall flavor as nearly as much as other liverwurst I've had. And the smokiness (from both the liquid smoke & the application in the smoker) really enhances the eating experience.

Kevin


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## gersus (Apr 17, 2012)

Wow! Glad to see it turned out really good! 

Ive always liked braunschweiger, not often, but every once in a while. 
Like all other sausages, I'm sure the ingredients are much higher quality in yours than in the cheap ones commonly found in stores. :)


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## bluto (Apr 18, 2012)

Wow, YUM!


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## snorkelinggirl (Apr 11, 2013)

Hi Kevin,

I'm reviving an older thread here.  A local farmer gave me a lb of pig liver that he couldn't get rid of to anyone else, so I was planning to make up a batch of liverwurst. The last time I made liverwurst I just cooked it in a bread pan in a water bath, and it turned out okay. But NOW I have both a sausage stuffer and a smoker, so I thought I'd fill a casing, poach, then smoke the liverwurst into braunschweiger.

This posting of yours is great. Any chance you could point me to the recipe so I could get specifics on the ingredient quantities?   Also, what kind of casings did you use on this? 

Thank you very much for any additional info!

Clarissa


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## bkleinsmid (Apr 11, 2013)

I would love to see that recipe as well. I've been wanting to try my hand at that for some time.

thanks,

Brad


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## couger78 (Apr 11, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> This posting of yours is great. Any chance you could point me to the recipe so I could get specifics on the ingredient quantities?   Also, what kind of casings did you use on this?
> 
> Thank you very much for any additional info!
> 
> Clarissa


Hi Clarissa

Funny, I thought I posted the recipe back when I first posted this last April. Oops...guess not. my bad.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I now have 'access' to fresh pork livers—something I didnt have back when i made this batch. The NEXT batch i'll do it with the pork livers.

Here's the recipe I used. It makes a milder (not so 'livery'') liverwurst, and I suppose one could substitute ALL pork liver for the pork shoulder and chicken liver listed in the recipe for a 'truer' (albeit stronger) wurst. This was big hit with family & friends—even those die-hard liver lovers....

Kevin

 *BRAUNSCHWEIGER*

_Makes seven pounds _  

US............Ingredient  (Metric) 

3 lb............Pork shoulder (1360 g) 

2  lb ..........Chicken liver  (900 g) 

1 lb............Beef chuck, lean (454 g)

¾ lb...........Pork fat (340 g)

¾ cup........NF Milk powder  (58 g) 

2 Tbs.........Kosher Salt   (40 g) 

7 tsp..........Onion powder (27 g)

2 tsp .........Liquid smoke (hickory)(16 ml)

1 tsp..........Cure #1 (7.0 g)

1 pkg.........Gelatin  (7.0 g)

2 tsp..........Pepper, white (5.0 g) 

1 Tbs......... Marjoram, ground (4.0 g) 

1 tsp...........Ginger, ground  (2.0 g) 

½ tsp..........Nutmeg, ground (1.5 g)

½ tsp...........Coriander, ground (1.0 g)

1. Remove any unwanted sinew, fat, etc from livers. Chill all meats to near-frozen. 

2. Grind near-frozen liver, pork, beef, pork fat through 3.0mm FINE plate.

3. Put ground meat back in freezer to near-frozen state again. Then grind again a second time through the fine plate.

4. Add the  ground meats to the other ingredients (except for gelatin). Dry ingredients can be mixed into 6-8 oz cold water.

5. Mix thoroughly until a sticky, uniform paste is formed (7-10 minutes).

6. Dissolve the gelatin in ¼ cup of cold water.  Pour it into the meat paste & thoroughly mix until the liquid has been absorbed.

7. Stuff into artificial casings.

8. Poach in 165°F water bath until an IT of 150°F is reached—(60-90 min.; depending on size of chubs)

9. Chill rapidly in ice bath.

10. Allow sausages to air dry completely—2-3 hours. OR hang in smoker (no smoke!) @ 100-110° for an hour os so until casings are dry to the touch.

11. Apply heavy hickory smoke for 3-4 hours. No heat. 

12. Chill overnight before slicing & serving.


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## snorkelinggirl (Apr 11, 2013)

Couger78 said:


> Hi Clarissa
> 
> Funny, I thought I posted the recipe back when I first posted this last April. Oops...guess not. my bad.
> 
> ...


Hi Kevin,

Thanks very much for posting (or reposting) this recipe!  I appreciate it, and am looking forward to giving this a shot soon.  Your instructions are very clear.

One more question. What diameter artificial casings would you use?  (I haven't used artificial casings before, so I'm sorry if this is a stupid question!)

Thanks again, Kevin. Have a great day!

Clarissa


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## couger78 (Apr 11, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> One more question. What diameter artificial casings would you use?


Clarissa, I used these:













fibrous_mahogany_casing.jpg



__ couger78
__ Apr 11, 2013






These are mahogany fibrous casings "for summer sausage" that are 2.56" x 12" long. They hold about 1.25 lbs per chub.

You can get longer ones (and ones greater in diameter), but this size worked well for the liverwurst. I purchased them from Butcher & packer for 63¢ each.

See here:

http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85_93_101&products_id=283

Kevin


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## snorkelinggirl (Apr 11, 2013)

Couger78 said:


> Clarissa, I used these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you again, Kevin!!


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## stanjk (Apr 12, 2013)

Great looking Braunschweiger! Can it be frozen with no ill effects? I'm the only one in the house that eats it and can't justify making just enough for myself (1 or 2 lbs) if it can't be frozen. Thanks for your reply in advance.


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## couger78 (Apr 12, 2013)

stanjk said:


> Great looking Braunschweiger! Can it be frozen with no ill effects? I'm the only one in the house that eats it and can't justify making just enough for myself (1 or 2 lbs) if it can't be frozen. Thanks for your reply in advance.


Any time a softer meat product is frozen, there's always a chance of the texture being affected. The key is speed in the freezing, Since most home freezers aren't cold enough (usually 0° to -2°F) to rapidly freeze meats (unlike a commercial-grade meat freezer (-25 to -40°F), theres going to be some moisture loss and slight change to the texture. My mother froze part of a braunschweiger chub, and thawed it at a later date. She said the texture was slightly drier (i.e. crumblier) —no surprise there—than the non-frozen she originally had. Still tasty, however,  she claimed. If you're planning on freezing the wurst, I would recommend vac-sealing first, for additional protection.

Kevin


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 17, 2013)

Very nice thread Kevin, I'm thinking a nice thick slice of onion, limburger and mustard on rye would go very well with it. 

Tom


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## couger78 (Jun 17, 2013)

Mr T 59874 said:


> Very nice thread Kevin, I'm thinking a nice thick slice of *onion, limburger and mustard on rye* would go very well with it.
> 
> Tom


The *mustard on rye* I'm okay with, but you lost me on the _limburger and onion_.


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 18, 2013)

I have to get some liver and make this...JJ


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 18, 2013)

Couger78 said:


> The *mustard on rye* I'm okay with, but you lost me on the _limburger and onion_.


Here's one I did for last years throwdown.

7) The Gasser :
A smoked Limburger cheese sandwich with brown mustard, red onion, sardines in mustard sauce topped with smoked Braunsweiger on a homemade dark rye bun. Served with a smoked spicy hot pickled egg on a bed of pickled onions and jalapeño peppers with a side of Korean kimchi.


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## fwismoker (Jun 18, 2013)

OH BOY...Sign me up!!!  I want some of that!


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 20, 2013)

FWIsmoker said:


> OH BOY...Sign me up!!!  I want some of that!


Your signed up.


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## doctorsteelhead (Sep 2, 2013)

Hey floks im new to this site, I have a meat shop and make home cured and smoked sausages.
I traditionally use pork skin instead of gelatin for my binder in braunschweiger.  But I cook it in liquid prior to grinding. But have brown spots w my cured meats.
Anyone try pre curing skins prior to cooking ?


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## boykjo (Sep 3, 2013)

Hey Doc, Welcome to SMF and were glad to have you aboard. Can you swing over to roll call and introduce yourself so we can give you a proper welcome.......   http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/133/roll-call  .......What type of cure are you using.................Joe


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 3, 2013)

doctorsteelhead said:


> Hey floks im new to this site, I have a meat shop and make home cured and smoked sausages.
> I traditionally use pork skin instead of gelatin for my binder in braunschweiger. But I cook it in liquid prior to grinding. But have brown spots w my cured meats.
> Anyone try pre curing skins prior to cooking ?


Hi doctor,

I love that you are using pork skin instead of gelatin!  I make little roulades of pork skin filled with cheese/panko/herbs that I cook in a marinara sauce until tender.  I've made these many times, and the skin has always come out very soft and succulent.  The one time I tried this using cured & smoked skin, no amount of cooking would make the skin soft....it stayed tough.  I don't know if it was the curing or smoking process that fundamentally changed the properties of the skin, but one or both of them did. 

Anyway, looking forward to seeing your sausage posts!  Welcome to SMF!

Clarissa


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## doctorsteelhead (Sep 4, 2013)

Thanks for the hi ! still trying to figure the discoloration thing out. customers are used to seeing an all pink braunschweiger,
Guess i could try erythorbate.


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