Usingers Sausage- Milwaukee Store

 A couple of weeks ago we made another stop at the Usingers retail store on Old World Third St in Milwaukee. We had a chilled cooler in the truck to hold our goodies, so we didn't hesitate to buy some things we might not have, if we couldn't pack them safely.
 
Unfortunately they did not have any of the Pastrami Ends and Pieces on the Bargain Table, I had a standing order from Pov Pete for a bunch of those. I find them to peppery for me, but he loves them (and is going without!).
 
We bought some regular White Brats (very mild and great flavor), Some Cajun Brats (sort of a coarse grind hot link, but not very 'Hot') We like these a lot. We also got some Chorizo, the Usinger version of the Mexican sausage. It was described as coarse grind and spicy. We found it not very coarse and a bit peppery aftertaste, but not like the Chorizo I knew in SoCal! It's OK, but not as spicy as the Hillshire Farms Hot Links. Add in a couple of pounds of Beer Brats, garlic Brats and 5 lbs of Smoked Pork Chop ends and pieces. Those Porkchop pieces are boneless and are great added to dishes like scalloped potato or scrambled eggs. They are very tasty, and at $2 a lb were a real bargain.
 
Our RF friend Ann had picked up some more items at Carl's Deli for us to try. So Far, we have sampled the fresh Brats but have some other things to check out as well. Carl's Brat's would rank up at or near the top of my "Best Brat" list. I was amazed at the difference in flavor between the 'fresh' vs the 'already cooked' Brats!
 
I do recommend a stop at Usingers store for any visitor to the Bradley Center area of Milwaukee. The Bargain Table is worthy of the Roadfood travelers investigation! The store is across the street from MADER's German Restaurant.

Its interesting that the "hot" sausages sold in their retail store were not very hot. Do you think that they adjusted the spice blend to match the preferences of the local area residents?

Yeah I think the regional impact has something to do with it, David. Also the ethnic origins of the makers. These guys make GREAT sausage, but they come at it from a different perspective than do the Cal-Tex-Mex of our SouthWest! I really hoped the Chorizo would be very coarse grind and quite spicy....but it wasn't. It had good flavor, but I missed the lumpy gristle pieces from my SoCal version! And apparently the good sausage makers in Milwaukee us the low end of the Scoville Scale to judge "heat in meat"!  Now the Cajun Brats were good and while not burning hot, they did leave a nice peppery  long-lasting aftertaste and some toothpick materials in my teeth !!

Mayor,
We like hot and spicy in Milwaukee but Usingers, as you found out, is not a place where you'll find any.
As you know, the seconds counter is not very visible to customers so you have to know what to ask for and you should rely on your clerk. I'd tell you to ask for onion knockwurst and Hessiche double smoked liverwurst which tastes like the finest pate more than a liver sausage or Braunschweiger.
 
You really should try to make time to stop at a wonderful old fashioned meat market that our friends at LTH have posted about. It's called the European Homemade Sausage Shop and it's a treasure.
 

 

 
 

 

 
European Homemade Sausage Shop
1985 S. Muskego Ave.
Milwaukee 53204
Open Tu-Sat 8AM-4PM (or when sold out on Saturdays)
414-384-7320
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10321&p=96400&hilit=European+Milwaukee+Muskego#p96400

Next time we sure will !!

I totally agree with MFL on the virtues of Hessiche liverwurst. It may well be my favorite product in Usinger's entire line.

Usinger's products are not available where I am in New Jersey, with the exception of one of their knackwursts which is sold at Trader Joe's. I have ordered from them many times through the years. Unfortunately the shipping costs almost as much as the sausage. A minimum order is 6 lbs.

Everything I've had from them is extraordinary. I order mostly hot dogs, which they insist on calling frankfurters (thicker in width) and wieners (thinner). About 9 years ago their beef franks won a nationwide taste test and were chosen by the Olympic Comitee and the people at Certified Angus Beef (CAB) to be made with angus beef and served at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

They were made available through their website. Being curious, I ordered them. They certainly lived up to the hype. A very bold tasting dog with a unique spicing that is hard to describe. A little different than a New York or Chicago beef dog with a few esoteric spices and a little more smoke than what is typical for these style dogs. Everyone I know who ordered them at my recomendation has called them the finest hot dog they ever had. It is my favorite beef hot dog along with Best's of New Jersey.

Their beef and pork franks (which they sell more of) are very good. One of the best I've had also, but the beef dogs stand out more in my opinion. Their bratwurst is excellent as well.

About 2 years ago, I found a variety of Usinger's products in the Safeway in Silver Spring, MD. A meat dept employee said they came from a local distributor rather than their warehouse. Usinger's summer sausage was out of this world. Maybe the folks here could start compiling a database of areas where Usinger's has a local distributor. No one is going to go into areas which have the likes of Thumann's, Ehmer's, and Schwaller & Weber's. But local distributors make the products affordable.

David We bought a case of 8 of the summer sausages during our stop at Usingers. We haven't opened one yet, but I have enjoyed them before, so I know what a treat we have. This Summer Sausage with some Swiss cheese is about the best thing that can happen to a Ritz Cracker!

Yes, I always include a large summer sausage with every order.

Anyone who wants to understand Dante's vision of the Inferno - ask for a tour of Usinger's casings room - in the basement - steamy mist - mountains of fresh casings, men with pitchforks (ok, shovels).

I bring in wieners, fresh brats, braunschwieger and a one or two other items a few times a year.  Divide the cost of the fed ex by the tonnage and it ain't all that bad.

Usinger's in the Third Ward is a treasure. Each December 26th (THE worst day if you are a bargain table fan like I am) we stock a cooler with encased heaven for that long drive back to the Mid-Atlantic. Fresh brats are better fresh, but Usiinger's fresh brats, frozen until summer are still better than the bratwurst I have found in DE. Some great sausage makers here; just no great bratwurst makers.

A added hint ..... across the street is also The Spice House. A great, family run purveyor of hand ground spices. Try the Back of the Yards Butchers Rub and Galena Street Rib Rub are two must haves in my cabinets.