Mettwurst, the strongly flavorful German sausage, is a delight to all meat lovers. You can eat it raw with veggies and beans or you can also fry this sausage before you devour it. This NutriNeat article discloses nutritional information along with giving you a mettwurst recipe to flatter your taste buds.
Did You Know? Though mettwurst has its origin in Germany, it is considered as a favorite dish in the city of Cincinnati, United States. |
Mettwurst is a finely minced sausage made of different meats that are cured and then smoked. There are varied varieties in it too. Basically, mettwurst is supposed to play both parts: (i) serve as a salami and (ii) as a spread on bread. You find these differences as you go by geographical factors. It is made very soft in the south, but made like a sausage in the northern side. Hence, mettwurst can be boiled/fried or eaten raw on bread with veggies.
You can use the recipe given below to make some tasty mettwurst at home. But, always take care of the ingredients you use. Mettwurst is a kind of raw meat, and hence, it needs extra care. We also furnish some nutritional facts for your perusal.
NUTRITION DATA | Per 100 g |
Calories | 310 |
Total Fat | 27.15 g |
Protein | 13.26 g |
Cholesterol | 67 mg |
Sodium | 1076 mg |
Potassium | 271 mg |
Calcium | 40 mg |
SERVING SIZE | Calories |
1 oz. | 87.9 |
1 lb. | 1405.9 |
1 kg | 3100 |
*Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database.
Ingredients
▶ Beef chuck, 1 lb.
▶ Veal, 1 lb.
▶ Pork (shoulder), 3 lb.
▶ Ground coriander, 1 tsp.
▶ Cure (Kwikurit), 1 tsp.
▶ Ground celery seed, 1 tsp.
▶ Allspice, 1 tsp.
▶ Dried and ground marjoram, ½ tsp.
▶ Ground caraway seeds, ½ tsp.
▶ Whole mustard seeds, 1 tsp.
▶ Kosher salt, 2 tbsp.
▶ Ground white pepper, 1 tbsp.
▶ Casings
Note: Check if the pork is free of Trichinae before you process it.
Procedure
✦ Step 1: Cut all the meats into 1-inch cubes, and then keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
✦ Step 2: Take the cut meat out, and grind it in a meat grinder through a fine plate.
✦ Step 3: Measure the ingredients properly and mix all of it. Blend the meat properly with all the ingredients. Keep it for 2 minutes.
✦ Step 4: Put it in the meat grinder and grind it again with fine plates.
✦ Step 5: Stuff the casings with the mixture.
✦ Step 6: Prepare the meat smoker. Smoke the sausage at 38 – 45°C (100 – 120°F) for 6 – 8 hours.
✦ Step 7: Remove it out of the smoker and sprinkle cold water immediately. This is done to fluff up the sausages and to stop the casings from shrinking.
✦ Step 8: Now, let the sausages to cool down and then refrigerate it overnight.
Your mettwurst sausage is ready!
Curing of meat is done using sodium or potassium nitrate/nitrite. A cure is necessary to kill a nasty bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a form of food poisoning. This bacteria grows in the exact conditions that are necessary for smoking, but the nitrites/nitrates prevent the growth of this bacteria. Curing takes about 72 hours at a temperature of 21°C, while at room temperature, the procedure may require 1 to 2 weeks.
Curing is usually followed by smoking, which includes cold or hot smoking. At times, the sausage is consumed directly from the casing.
The meat can be uncooked, so take measures to ensure that the meat is fully cooked and bacteria are eliminated. Enjoy your mettwurst and keep cooking!