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From the plains of Kansas, up through the Dakotas and into Canada, there is a unique community whose German ancestors emigrated to America from the Russian Empire. Most of these families were originally from the forested regions of Alsace, Württemberg and Bavaria and set up "colonies" in various Russian-held areas at the invitation of the ruling Romanov family. Bessarabia, Ukraine, Crimea and the Volga River Valley were some of the main points of settlement; These "Volga Germans" (Wolgadeutsche) and "Black Sea Germans" (Schwarzmeerdeutsche) were excellent farmers and brought with them traditions of agriculture, gardening, brewing and "making meat." The Great Plains region of North America is full of these descendants of "Germans from Russia" - chances are if that you you have Germans in your ancestry and they settled in the states mentioned above (or the plains of Canada), they may very well have been Germans From Russia.
My own ancesters came from the Black Forest and Alsace and settled in and around the farming town of Sulz, which was along the Beresan River in Ukraine. They eventually emigrated to western North Dakota (Dunn County).
As a community that can claim three homelands (Southwestern Germany, Southern Russia and the American Midwest), the Germans from Russia have interesting food traditions.. One aspect of those traditions is, of course, sausage. I thought I would share some of these sausage recipes with you and see if anyone would like to try them. These recipes come from the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection at North Dakota State University, a website that is well worth a look for some interesting things.
Looking at the amounts involved, these guys didn't mess around! I've not tried any of them yet, but they should be self-explanatory. Keep in mind that the recipes are written by chilrden or grandchildren of immigrants, and as such are not perfect, so they might need a little tweaking or modification here and there (eg: modern cure versus "saltpetre" or salt only), but they are an accurate representation of sausages that were made on German immigrant farmsteads all across the region, and the memories that come with those recipes are as useful as the recipes themselves.
My own ancesters came from the Black Forest and Alsace and settled in and around the farming town of Sulz, which was along the Beresan River in Ukraine. They eventually emigrated to western North Dakota (Dunn County).
As a community that can claim three homelands (Southwestern Germany, Southern Russia and the American Midwest), the Germans from Russia have interesting food traditions.. One aspect of those traditions is, of course, sausage. I thought I would share some of these sausage recipes with you and see if anyone would like to try them. These recipes come from the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection at North Dakota State University, a website that is well worth a look for some interesting things.
Looking at the amounts involved, these guys didn't mess around! I've not tried any of them yet, but they should be self-explanatory. Keep in mind that the recipes are written by chilrden or grandchildren of immigrants, and as such are not perfect, so they might need a little tweaking or modification here and there (eg: modern cure versus "saltpetre" or salt only), but they are an accurate representation of sausages that were made on German immigrant farmsteads all across the region, and the memories that come with those recipes are as useful as the recipes themselves.
German Sausage
From Lauren Brautner
All the years I was growing up on the farm, my father and my brothers were the sausage makers in the family. They would disappear into the basement and mix up big batches of sausage and periodically appear upstairs to test fry a patty. Then they would disappear again. Finally the sausage would be stuffed and my Mother and my sister and I would package it into freezer bags. The recipe was a SECRET! About 8 years ago we put out a family cookbook and my father gave us his recipe. My sister decided that he must be thinking he was dying to turn loose of his recipe. It shook her up when he casually handed it to her. He's still farming at age 84 and here it is:
William Brethauer's German Sausage Recipe
3/4 cup salt
1/2 cup black pepper
1/2 of a 1.25 oz. bottle of garlic powder
30 lbs. of ground pork
10 lbs of ground beef
1 cup brown sugar (optional)
The sausage needs to be mixed thoroughly to distribute the seasonings evenly. Test fry a patty to check the seasoning. When you are satisfied with the seasoning, stuff the sausage. If you don't own a sausage stuffer you can freeze the sausage in patties or in small bulk packages. I hope you enjoy this as much as four generations of our family has over the years. The Great-Grandkids think Dad's sausage is OK.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/recipe/sausage.html
From Lauren Brautner
All the years I was growing up on the farm, my father and my brothers were the sausage makers in the family. They would disappear into the basement and mix up big batches of sausage and periodically appear upstairs to test fry a patty. Then they would disappear again. Finally the sausage would be stuffed and my Mother and my sister and I would package it into freezer bags. The recipe was a SECRET! About 8 years ago we put out a family cookbook and my father gave us his recipe. My sister decided that he must be thinking he was dying to turn loose of his recipe. It shook her up when he casually handed it to her. He's still farming at age 84 and here it is:
William Brethauer's German Sausage Recipe
3/4 cup salt
1/2 cup black pepper
1/2 of a 1.25 oz. bottle of garlic powder
30 lbs. of ground pork
10 lbs of ground beef
1 cup brown sugar (optional)
The sausage needs to be mixed thoroughly to distribute the seasonings evenly. Test fry a patty to check the seasoning. When you are satisfied with the seasoning, stuff the sausage. If you don't own a sausage stuffer you can freeze the sausage in patties or in small bulk packages. I hope you enjoy this as much as four generations of our family has over the years. The Great-Grandkids think Dad's sausage is OK.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/recipe/sausage.html
Summer Sausage
From Jolene K. Ehret
Summer Sausage (1)
Mix together:
66 lb. of finely ground beef.
34 lb. finely ground lean pork
3 lb plus 1/2 cup salt
1 lb brown sugar
4 oz black pepper
Cut 2 fine bulbs of garlic and cover with hot water in a cup. Let stand for several hours. Add the liquid to the sausage. Mix very well. Stuff the sausage very tightly into plastic sausage bags. Have a few small ones and some medium sized ones. Tie the ends with a good strong string or twine. Let it hang in a cool place (but don't freeze it) for a day or two, then smoke it. Skip a day or two and then smoke it again. This keeps very well in a cool place. We used to leave ours hang in the smoke house all summer, but it is better to have it in a cooler place.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summer Sausage (2)
25 lbs of good beef and pork
1 lb. sugar cure smoked salt
2 tsp salt peter
3 T pepper
3 T sugar
Mix thoroughly. Put in casings or sacks that have been dipped in smoke salt water.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/r...ersausage.html
From Jolene K. Ehret
Summer Sausage (1)
Mix together:
66 lb. of finely ground beef.
34 lb. finely ground lean pork
3 lb plus 1/2 cup salt
1 lb brown sugar
4 oz black pepper
Cut 2 fine bulbs of garlic and cover with hot water in a cup. Let stand for several hours. Add the liquid to the sausage. Mix very well. Stuff the sausage very tightly into plastic sausage bags. Have a few small ones and some medium sized ones. Tie the ends with a good strong string or twine. Let it hang in a cool place (but don't freeze it) for a day or two, then smoke it. Skip a day or two and then smoke it again. This keeps very well in a cool place. We used to leave ours hang in the smoke house all summer, but it is better to have it in a cooler place.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summer Sausage (2)
25 lbs of good beef and pork
1 lb. sugar cure smoked salt
2 tsp salt peter
3 T pepper
3 T sugar
Mix thoroughly. Put in casings or sacks that have been dipped in smoke salt water.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/r...ersausage.html
Liver Sausage
From Daun Beyer
For 50 lb batch, mix together:
10 lb boiled liver (20% pork liver/80% beef liver)
20 lb hog jowels
20 lb good pork
Seasoning (see below)
Seasoning mix:
1 g pepper per lb of meat
6.5 g salt per lb of meat
4 cloves garlic well blended
Put in casing and bring slowly to 160° F. Or you can seal in pint jars.
More notes, from Milton Darr:
For liver sausage, the pork/beef mix is important to keep the sausage from being too greasy (pork liver) or too dry (beef liver).
Other spices can be added to the recipe such as mustard seeds, onion flakes, etc. Get creative, but taste before you cook and be aware that the flavors will intensify during cooking (i.e., careful with the salt!). If the flavors are too strong after cooking, they will often mellow out with time, but try to err on the side of less seasoning as opposed to too much.
For all pork treats, it is essential that the meat be cleaned and rinsed impeccably; otherwise will get that “pig” flavor that turns people off.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/recipe/liver.html
From Daun Beyer
For 50 lb batch, mix together:
10 lb boiled liver (20% pork liver/80% beef liver)
20 lb hog jowels
20 lb good pork
Seasoning (see below)
Seasoning mix:
1 g pepper per lb of meat
6.5 g salt per lb of meat
4 cloves garlic well blended
Put in casing and bring slowly to 160° F. Or you can seal in pint jars.
More notes, from Milton Darr:
For liver sausage, the pork/beef mix is important to keep the sausage from being too greasy (pork liver) or too dry (beef liver).
Other spices can be added to the recipe such as mustard seeds, onion flakes, etc. Get creative, but taste before you cook and be aware that the flavors will intensify during cooking (i.e., careful with the salt!). If the flavors are too strong after cooking, they will often mellow out with time, but try to err on the side of less seasoning as opposed to too much.
For all pork treats, it is essential that the meat be cleaned and rinsed impeccably; otherwise will get that “pig” flavor that turns people off.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/recipe/liver.html
Head Cheese
From Daun Beyer
Start with 15 lb hog rind cooked separately (a gluey mess!). Boil til soft like gluten.
Mix together:
20 lb good pork chunks, boiled til ready to eat, and then ground coarse
15 lb jowels and trimming off bacon
5 to 8 lb raw ground beef
Seasoning (see below)
Seasoning Calculations:
5 cloves (per pound?) garlic, well blended
1 g pepper per lb meat (so, 50 g for the above quantity of meat)
6.5 g salt per lb of meat (so 325 g – almost 1 lb)
NOTE: Rita Darr suggests far less salt here – 1 tsp per lb of beef instead. Use judgment and personal taste.
Use casings that you can cook meat in – 6” white casings. Fill the casings and put in pot in lengths that fit the pot (submerge the filled casings). Cook in hot water til the temperature reaches 160° F and “a bit longer” – 10 minutes or so. WATER SHOULD NEVER BOIL.
Take out of water and put between boards with weights on top to make flat. Some fat comes out the ends.
More notes on recipes above, from Milton Darr:
For head cheese, use as much of the head as you are comfortable with – ears, snout, etc., also gristly stomach meat).
Other spices can be added to the recipe such as mustard seeds, onion flakes, etc. Get creative, but taste before you cook and be aware that the flavors will intensify during cooking (i.e., careful with the salt!). If the flavors are too strong after cooking, they will often mellow out with time, but try to err on the side of less seasoning as opposed to too much.
For all pork treats, it is essential that the meat be cleaned and rinsed impeccably; otherwise will get that “pig” flavor that turns people off.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/r...eadcheese.html
From Daun Beyer
Start with 15 lb hog rind cooked separately (a gluey mess!). Boil til soft like gluten.
Mix together:
20 lb good pork chunks, boiled til ready to eat, and then ground coarse
15 lb jowels and trimming off bacon
5 to 8 lb raw ground beef
Seasoning (see below)
Seasoning Calculations:
5 cloves (per pound?) garlic, well blended
1 g pepper per lb meat (so, 50 g for the above quantity of meat)
6.5 g salt per lb of meat (so 325 g – almost 1 lb)
NOTE: Rita Darr suggests far less salt here – 1 tsp per lb of beef instead. Use judgment and personal taste.
Use casings that you can cook meat in – 6” white casings. Fill the casings and put in pot in lengths that fit the pot (submerge the filled casings). Cook in hot water til the temperature reaches 160° F and “a bit longer” – 10 minutes or so. WATER SHOULD NEVER BOIL.
Take out of water and put between boards with weights on top to make flat. Some fat comes out the ends.
More notes on recipes above, from Milton Darr:
For head cheese, use as much of the head as you are comfortable with – ears, snout, etc., also gristly stomach meat).
Other spices can be added to the recipe such as mustard seeds, onion flakes, etc. Get creative, but taste before you cook and be aware that the flavors will intensify during cooking (i.e., careful with the salt!). If the flavors are too strong after cooking, they will often mellow out with time, but try to err on the side of less seasoning as opposed to too much.
For all pork treats, it is essential that the meat be cleaned and rinsed impeccably; otherwise will get that “pig” flavor that turns people off.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/r...eadcheese.html
Leberwurst
From Gwen Schock Cowherd
There always was a canned pint jar of leberwurst (liver sausage) in my German Russian home refrigerator. The whole family loved it. We smeared it on toast with mayo for breakfast and whenever a snacking urge hit. I still crave its' peppery flavor. I never saw how leberwurst was made because the butchering process was done when I was in school, which was a good thing because I wouldn’t have eaten it if I had observed the squeal to jar process. If my parents gave you a jar of leberwurst, you were either a close relative or one of their best friends. They were geitzig (stingy) with the leberwurst.
In the cookbook, "Food ‘N Customs – Recipes of the Black Sea Germans", published by the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS), Bismarck, North Dakota, page 28; Mike Welder describes how to make leberwurst:
Clean the head of a pig by scalding it in hot water and baking soda. Scrape off the hair. Cut the ears off and eardrum sections out. Cut out the eyes. Cut the head through the jaws so the lower half of head is separated. Remove tongue and brain. Remove and throw away the teeth. Cook the meat from the pig’s head for about three hours. Add a small cooked liver and some skin and meat from the head. Add some salt and pepper and garlic juice (soak a head of chopped garlic in about ½ cup hot water and then strain it). If it’s pretty dry, add some fat. Some add cinnamon and flour. Mix well, and then using a sausage stuffer, fill sausage casings with the liverwurst and tie ends. Gently cook sausages in the same water the pig’s head was cooked in for a half hour. Hang the rings of sausage until they are cold. The meat can also be canned in pint jars instead of put into casings. Pressure cook for 75 minutes at 10 pounds pressure or whatever your canner indicates for pork meat. If you want to make your own casings, take the pig intestines, empty the contents and use a dull knife to scrape the contents out. Rinse well with water to clean. The small intestines were used for this.
I have never found “canned” leberwurst in any grocery store. I realize that if I am again to taste the delicacy, I will have to make it. But, I don’t have the guts. I’ve been considering getting my German Russian friends together to partake in the laborious grind thinking that camaraderie would help alleviate the tediousness. We would definitely skip the pig head cleaning and jump right to the grinding of the meat supplied by my favorite butcher, but does he have head skin? I’m also scared of pressure cookers. I have heard the story many times of my grandmother’s blowing up and how she washed green beans off the kitchen ceiling and walls for days. What if us softies, who are used to buying our meat both white-wrapped and in see-through packaging, do not have the intestinal fortitude to face the pressure cooker of sausage processing? What would I then do with all those body parts? So, I have no picture capturing leberwurst in a jar to share with you.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/f...eberwurst.html
From Gwen Schock Cowherd
There always was a canned pint jar of leberwurst (liver sausage) in my German Russian home refrigerator. The whole family loved it. We smeared it on toast with mayo for breakfast and whenever a snacking urge hit. I still crave its' peppery flavor. I never saw how leberwurst was made because the butchering process was done when I was in school, which was a good thing because I wouldn’t have eaten it if I had observed the squeal to jar process. If my parents gave you a jar of leberwurst, you were either a close relative or one of their best friends. They were geitzig (stingy) with the leberwurst.
In the cookbook, "Food ‘N Customs – Recipes of the Black Sea Germans", published by the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS), Bismarck, North Dakota, page 28; Mike Welder describes how to make leberwurst:
Clean the head of a pig by scalding it in hot water and baking soda. Scrape off the hair. Cut the ears off and eardrum sections out. Cut out the eyes. Cut the head through the jaws so the lower half of head is separated. Remove tongue and brain. Remove and throw away the teeth. Cook the meat from the pig’s head for about three hours. Add a small cooked liver and some skin and meat from the head. Add some salt and pepper and garlic juice (soak a head of chopped garlic in about ½ cup hot water and then strain it). If it’s pretty dry, add some fat. Some add cinnamon and flour. Mix well, and then using a sausage stuffer, fill sausage casings with the liverwurst and tie ends. Gently cook sausages in the same water the pig’s head was cooked in for a half hour. Hang the rings of sausage until they are cold. The meat can also be canned in pint jars instead of put into casings. Pressure cook for 75 minutes at 10 pounds pressure or whatever your canner indicates for pork meat. If you want to make your own casings, take the pig intestines, empty the contents and use a dull knife to scrape the contents out. Rinse well with water to clean. The small intestines were used for this.
I have never found “canned” leberwurst in any grocery store. I realize that if I am again to taste the delicacy, I will have to make it. But, I don’t have the guts. I’ve been considering getting my German Russian friends together to partake in the laborious grind thinking that camaraderie would help alleviate the tediousness. We would definitely skip the pig head cleaning and jump right to the grinding of the meat supplied by my favorite butcher, but does he have head skin? I’m also scared of pressure cookers. I have heard the story many times of my grandmother’s blowing up and how she washed green beans off the kitchen ceiling and walls for days. What if us softies, who are used to buying our meat both white-wrapped and in see-through packaging, do not have the intestinal fortitude to face the pressure cooker of sausage processing? What would I then do with all those body parts? So, I have no picture capturing leberwurst in a jar to share with you.
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/f...eberwurst.html
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