Smoked Mettwurst is the best way to enjoy this classic German sausage. Made with ground beef and lean beef, this meat is packed with flavor. Learn how to salt, season and cold-smoke Mettwurst with our BBQ sausage recipe.
What is Mettwurst?
Mettwurst is a spicy German sausage made from minced raw pork that’s been cured and smoked to preserve its flavor.
It’s usually made with pork and beef, although some versions also include beef or turkey. Ingredients may vary from region to region, but often include garlic, onions, and herbs.
Mettwurst comes from the Low German (a form of the northern German vernacular) word for minced pork, ‘ mett ‘. Interestingly, it shares a root with the English word “meat”.
The combination of the smoking process, ground pork and herbs produces a strong flavor that has found a following around the world. Here, too, we are big fans, so we are proud to present our own recipe for cold-smoked mettwurst here.
How to eat Mettwurst
Smoked Mettwurst is popular as a snack or appetizer and is enjoyed in Germany on bread or in stews. I love grilling Mettwurst with homemade or sliced sauerkraut as a sandwich filling.
Mettwurst vs Bratwurst: What’s the Difference?
Since both are popular German sausages, Mettwurst and Bratwurst are often confused with one another. Mettwurst is long and thin and has a much stronger flavor than bratwurst due to its strong herbal ingredients.
Not to be confused with metts, a type of raw, uncured, undercooked ground pork used as a spread. This is known as a type of raw sausage.
Bratwurst also includes pork and beef, but is often cooked in broth or beer and can be roasted and grilled. Smoked Bratwurst have a much milder flavor than Mettwurst and are lightly flavored with nutmeg, cumin and ginger.
What did pickling salt do?
Many cold-smoked sausage recipes call for salt to cure, and this Mettwurst is no different. For our recipe we used Prague Powder #1 (also called Instacure 1 or Cure 1).
It is important to note that there are other pickling salts, but not all can be used for the same purpose. You may come across Instacure 2 or Prague Powder #2, but they have slightly different uses.
All of these curing salts are used to preserve meat such as sausage, ham or bacon. This helps improve the flavor of the meat and create a pink color while YOU stop the growth of botulism or other harmful bacteria.
Where they differ is in their application. Prague Powder #1 and Instacure 1 are used for short curing times and are therefore suitable for all cured products to be cooked, eg B. smoked sausages. That’s why we use it for this smoked mettwurst recipe.
Instacure 2 and Prague Powder 2, on the other hand, are used for long curing times. This makes them better for air-dried meats that aren’t cooked. These include salami, pepperoni and some cured ham.
why are they pink The reason is simple, so you don’t confuse it with regular salt. The sodium nitrate in all of these remedies can be extremely harmful if consumed undiluted, so it’s important that it’s used responsibly.
What is Sausage Blossom?
Flowering sausages are a post-smoking stage where we allow the sausage to dry and “age” at room temperature, developing a deep brown color. Although it should already be brown after grilling, the blooming creates a more even coating. The longer the bloom, the darker the colour.
It is best to hang the Mettwurst on a rack or hook and hang it on the back of a chair. Leave to flower for two hours. After that, keep the sausage in the fridge overnight to enjoy the next day.
Take a shower
Also known as a cold dip or spray, rinsing involves cooling the sausage after it’s removed from the smoker. This step in the production of sausages is crucial because if it is not refrigerated, the casings will wrinkle and warp the meat.
This can happen as soon as you remove the meat, so make sure you’re prepared. Bathe the sausages with a cold spray or hose, or submerge them in a cold water bath. Reduce the indoor temperature to 50°C as soon as possible.
If the sausage shrinks, you can thicken it again and place it in a pot of hot water (about 160°F).
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
