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Oktoberfest Time!

Oktoberfest is the world’s largest outdoor party.  It’s celebrated all over the world, including right here in Milwaukee, but the main event is in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The 16-day festival runs from late September to the first weekend in October. They’ve held it there since the early 1800’as and it’s an important part of the Bavarian culture.  Wiesn, as it’s referred to in Bavaria, is short for the grounds it’s held on.  Munich’s Oktoberfest averages about 6 million visitors per year!  Most other Oktoberfest celebrations are patterned after Munich’s, they’re just a little smaller.

If you like to eat German food, Oktoberfest is a party you don’t want to miss.  Here’s a sample of what you can try, Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinsh axe (grilled ham hock), of course they’ll have plenty of Würst (sausages) along with Brezen (pretzel), Knödel (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), and Sauerkraut.  Several of these dishes may sound familiar because they are served at Milwaukee’s Germanfest.

 

Along with Bratwurst another popular wurst traditionally served at Octoberfest is Weisswurst  (a short, stubby link with a light, fluffy texture, white in color, speckled with fresh parsley and a hint of onion).

 

In Milwaukee, we too love an outdoor party. Host your own Octoberfest celebration with Usinger’s Weisswurst and Bratwurst.  Hand crafted in our sausage kitchen on Third St. in downtown Milwaukee, they are spiced perfectly and great on the grill.

 

Enjoy the season, Prost!

 

 

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Where Does Our Meat Come From?

In the era of “Bird Flu”, “Mad Cow”, and “Chronic Wasting”, people want to know where the food they’re eating comes from.

It’s a very good question, one that you should ask yourself, and one that I received recently.

Here at Usinger’s, we do not “harvest” animals, never have. We buy only the preferred cuts from USDA inspected packinghouses located in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states to make our sausages.

Because our suppliers are under continuous inspection by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS), they must comply with Federal Regulations related to animal welfare, animal health, proper sanitary conditions and that the entire process is conducted humanely. Federal Law requires that FSIS personnel be present during hours of operation at these establishments to validate compliance.

We have always believed in using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. We do not use imported frozen meat in any Usinger products. Fresh, Midwestern pork and beef that is delivered daily to our Third Street sausage kitchen is what you will find in our products. It’s the only way to make America’s finest sausage.

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The Thrill of the Grill

Now that grilling season has returned, it’s time for a little review of some of our favorite grilling links and ways to prepare them.  While they all taste great, there are subtle differences in the way you may want to prepare them.

 

Usinger Cooked Brat –  The white brat.  Bavarian style made with finely chopped Pork and Veal.  These are the type served all over Germany.  When grilled they actually swell and get plumper as they are cooked.  Grilling gives them a crispy outer skin and smooth flavorful center.

 

Usinger Fresh Brat – My method for grilling a fresh brat is “low and slow”.  It’s the opposite of grilling a steak, which you sear right away to seal in the juices and then cook them at a lower temperature.  With a fresh bratwurst it has to acclimate to the heat slowly.  Too much heat too quickly can cause the brat to swell so much that it will break the casing, which is what you are really trying to avoid.  If the casing breaks, all of the juices and spices wind up in your grill.

 

Usinger Natural Casing Beef Frankfurters – These are meaty, juicy and have more than a hint of fresh garlic.  Grilling enhances the “pop” when you bite into the natural casing.

 

Usinger Smoked Andouille Sausage – This is a great sausage with lots of complex flavors.  Spicy, smoky and tangy all at once.

 

Usinger Jalapeno Cheddar – A hardwood smoked, fully cooked bratwurst that is ready to heat and eat. Made from coarsely ground premium pork, Jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese and our apple wood smoked bacon for extra smokiness. One of my favorites.

 

Additional tips – Personally, I’m not a fan of parboiling.  It can change the texture of the casing and dilute the flavor of a perfectly spiced sausage.  If you’re short on time, the pre-cooked are quick and don’t require the care of grilling fresh meat.

If you like Kraut, try our Festival style sauerkraut.  It’s pre-cooked also and may be the only condiment you need.

Enjoy!

 

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Fred Usinger Day February 23rd, 2015

February’s tastiest holiday is almost here!  Fred Usinger Day.

Mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed February 23rd as Fred Usinger Day in a special proclamation back in 2005.  This special proclamation recognized Usinger¹s as a locally family owned and operated business for four generations spanning over 125 years.  The City of Milwaukee salutes Fred Usinger, Inc. for it¹s long standing good corporate citizenship and commitment to the betterment of Metropolitan Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin area².  To commemorate this event, our friends at the Old German Beer Hall will be offering a free Usinger brat to patrons beginning at 11am until 8pm.  I will also be on hand at OGBH to tap a keg at 6pm and there will be free beer until the keg runs out.  Take a break from the cold and enjoy a hot juicy Usinger brat, maybe a pretzel and your favorite libation as we celebrate Milwaukee’s sausage heritage.

It¹s my favorite thing about February, hope you can join us for the party!

Fritz

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Happy Thanksgiving

On behalf of everyone at Usinger’s let me wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving and joyous holiday season.  It’s a special time of year and made better when you can spend it with family and friends.  Of course, if you can sneak a little Usinger andouille sausage into the dressing it might even get a little tastier.  Seriously, if you’re a fan of our flavorful andouille, you might want to try it.  Since our andouille is already cooked, you can just slice/dice and add to the stuffing before putting it in the bird.  It’s so good, it’s almost an entrée unto itself.  You can substitute other types of sausage like Italian, or Chorizo, but for my palate, andouille is the best.

Also, for anyone who wants to order sausage a la carte from the Usinger Deli for the holidays, you’ve only got a few days left.  November 30th will be the last day we process deli orders for pre-holiday delivery.  The elves are getting very busy shipping gift boxes in December, and deli orders will be suspended for shipping until after the holidays.

I hope you enjoy the season. And I hope you like the new flat rate shipping for gift boxes we’ve introduced this year. Shipping is always a little more complicated when it involves perishable food products and you don’t have as many options as with other items.  We’ve negotiated the best deals we can for this season and hope this works for you.  Let us know.

 

Thanks,

Fritz

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Oktoberfest Time

Simply put, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest outdoor party.  It’s held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The 16-day festival runs from late September to the first weekend in October.  Many of the locals refer to it as Wiesn, which is short for the grounds it’s held on.  Having been held since the early 1800’a it’s an important part of the Bavarian culture.  Most other Oktoberfest around the world have been patterned after Munich’s, they’re just a little smaller.  Munich’s averages about 6 million visitors per year!

If you like to eat German food, you’ll love Oktoberfest, check this menu out.  Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinsh axe (grilled ham hock), of course they’ll have plenty of Würst (sausages) along with Brezen (pretzel), Knödel (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), and Sauerkraut.  If you’ve been to Milwaukee’s German Fest this may sound familiar.  One of the sausages served at Oktoberfest is Weisswurst (a white sausage containing veal).  This delicious sausage literally melts in your mouth and is one of my favorites.  We make it at Usinger’s and ours is equally as delicious.

 

Oktoberfest brats are also a seasonal favorite.  They are just a bit longer than regular brats and spiced perfectly.  If you’re celebrating Wiesn stateside this year, put some Weisswurst and Oktoberfest brats on the grill and it’ll go a long way toward giving you the taste of Munich’s Oktoberfest.

 

Enjoy the season, Prost!

Fritz

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The Best Fair Food at the Best Fair Price

The Wisconsin State Fair begins its 11 day run on Thursday July 31. It has become a Wisconsin tradition each summer and it’s been around even longer than we have.  The first Wisconsin State Fair was held in Janesville in 1851.  It moved around quite a bit the first 40 years, but settled in Milwaukee at its current location in 1892.  Usinger’s is a proud participant of the fair and has a booth in the Wisconsin Products Pavilion with many other great Wisconsin companies.  You will find some of the best food at the fair in the pavilion and also some of the best prices.  From apples to ice cream and potatoes to Usinger brats, it’s the place to go.  Usinger’s is Milwaukee’s oldest and still family run sausage kitchen.  Come visit the Usinger booth inside the air-conditioned Wisconsin Products Pavilion. There you will find the best food at the best price at the fair.

 

Here is what’s on our menu.

 

Quarter pound brat, served with kraut

Quarter pound Italian, served with peppers and onions

Quarter pound chicken sausage with spinach and feta cheese

Quarter pound Smoked Brat with Cheddar & Jalapeno

Jumbo Pork & Beef Hot Dog

 

All are served on delicious Miller Bakery Pretzella buns and are just $ 4.00 each!

 

See you at the Fair.

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Try it, You’ll Like It!

Try something a little different on your grill this summer.  A Usinger Smoked Brat with Cheddar Cheese & Jalapeno Peppers. This is one of my grilling favorites. To create this awesome link, we started with a Usinger Smoked Brat mix, then added apple wood smoked bacon bits for a campfire taste, Cheddar Cheese for flavor and pieces of Jalapeno Peppers for good measure. We packed them all in a natural casing and then hardwood smoked them. This is the complete sausage, no condiments needed, well maybe a great sausage roll.  But seriously, you’ll want to enjoy all of the great flavors so don’t cover them up with a bunch of add-ons.

These sausages are fully cooked, so you just need to grill them over medium heat to warm them completely through to get the cheese melted and the outside skin crispy.  Try not to crack the casings because you won’t want to lose any of the flavor.

 

Enjoy !

Fritz