real German/Austrian sausages

I have to laugh when people try to talk up Schaller&Weber and Karl Ehmer sausages as even being slightly authentic. If you've never had Hartmann's (Rochester, NY) then you haven't had Wurst. We're talking NO msg and NO fillers--read the Ehmer and Schaller ingredient labels!! This is real meat with real spices. If you've never had Käsekrainerwurst, then you're really missing out. Only Hartmann's makes it the real way. Ehmer and Schaller have cut back and cut down so much, there's nothing left to enjoy--unless you like eating hydrolyzed soy protein and monosodium glutamte.

I've never had sausages from Hartmann's; in fact I've never heard of them until now. But I would disagree with you about Karl Ehmer and Schaller & Weber. They are authentic. S&W won a whole lot of awards in Germany recently. And no one would doubt the authenticity of German sausages. I think there may be some info on their website regarding these awards.

I've had bratwurst and franks from Karl Ehmer. The brats were ok; I've had better. The Union Pork Store in Union, N.J. makes the best pre cooked bratwurst I've had. But the German style franks from Ehmer's are as good as any I've tasted, and I've tasted my fair share. Very similar in taste to Thumann's, which I consider the standard for this style of dog. As for msg, I would prefer that my sausages didn't have it, but some good tasting ones do. And there is a reason why franks contain hydrolyzed soy protein. I forget why, but I will try to find out for you. It was explained to me by the plant manager at Best Provisions. Their franks, as well as Hebrew National and others contain this ingredient. And it is not considered to be a filler. Both Hebrew National and Best's make a lot of the fact that their dogs do not contain fillers.

I beleive soy protein is used as a binder (between the meat and fat). Your other option is "rusk", which is pretty much breadcrumbs.

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John Fox Posted - 04/26/2006 : 20:15:28
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Very similar in taste to Thumann's, which I consider the standard for this style of dog. As for msg, I would prefer that my sausages didn't have it, but some good tasting ones do.

John, why would you prefer your sausages not to have MSG ??

The hydrolyzed proteins are fillers, indeed. Authentic sausages don't use it--it's a shortcut for mass producing and cost reasons. To each his own, but as we say in Germany ,Mir ist es NICHT Wurst!''

SAY IT AIN'T SOy!

someone once said "you don't ever want to know what goes into making hot-dogs"

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein -- The extraction process of hydrolysis involves boiling in a vat of acid (e.g., sulfuric acid) and then neutralizing the solution with a caustic soda. The resultant sludge is scraped off the top and allowed to dry. In addition to soy protein it contains free-form excitotoxic amino acids (e.g., MSG) and other potentially harmful chemicals including cancer-causing chemicals in many cases. A newer method of hydrolysis involves the use of bacteria by itself or in addition to the chemical processes described above. There is a possibility that genetically-manipulated bacteria may be used.

The food industry sometimes uses large amount of hydrolyzed proteins as a "taste enhancer" because it contains significant amounts of MSG (monosodium glutamate). This is what is known in the food industry as "Clean Labels" -- adding MSG to food, without having to list it as "MSG" on the label.

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Originally posted by fpczyz

quote:

John Fox Posted - 04/26/2006 : 20:15:28
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Very similar in taste to Thumann's, which I consider the standard for this style of dog. As for msg, I would prefer that my sausages didn't have it, but some good tasting ones do.

John, why would you prefer your sausages not to have MSG ??

Only because I've heard that MSG can cause headaches. Not that I would be able to detect it when eating. Remember, hot dogs and sausages are not the most healthy things to eat anyway. I've seen MSG listed as an ingredient on Schmalz's franks and either Karl Ehmer or Schaller & Weber. Thumann's advertises the fact that they do not use MSG. And I'm sure that it is not used by the small German butcher shops that I go to.

Hydrolized soy protein is listed as an ingredient in Hebrew National hot dogs. This ingredient does not prevent them from being kosher. And they frequently claim that there are no additives or fillers in their dogs. Either they are misleading, or it is not considered a filler. I don't know. I seem to remember being told that soy protein aids in frying as well. But this wasn't the main reason that I was told that Best's uses this ingredient. It may have been as a flavor enhancer as fpczyz stated or as Uncle Vic said, a binder between meat and fat.

But I don't agree that the use of these disqualifies a product as authentic. Sabrett also uses hydrolyzed soy protein. But they are known for their good cuts of beef, spice mixture, imported German casings, and slow hickory smoking. All of which make outstanding sausages.

On Jericho Turnpike, in Huntington on Looooooong Island, NY the Forest Pork Store makes the best wurst I have ever had since the days when we butchered our own pigs. I have had some of the worst wurst and some good wurst, but Forest makes the best around. When you enter you will find 6 or 7 butchers behind the showcases. Take a number and wait. "Yah, whose next". People come there from far and wide, and some of the people are pretty wide themselves. I was there one day when people from Pennsylvania were ordering a ton of meat to take home. I doubt if they drove all the way just for the wurst but there they were.

No sausage tastes the same to every individual, no doubt, but if you take out all the ingredients that are not exactly natural (meaning not actual spices or starter cultures, the latter being needed for making smoked products), the creativity of the sausage maker is at the forefront. The smaller shops usually make the best Wurst because they think like artists--the larger producers have a goal: get as many wholesale accounts as possible. That means mass producing and vaccuum packing everything, which is what Ehmer does. They have cut down on staff in the production plant significantly over the years because they produce in high volume and have jammed the sausages full of fillers and flavor enhancers. Read the Forest Pork Store label, too. It's changed a lot over the years. Ehmer, Forest and Schaller all taste (pretty) good, but you have to ask yourself at some point how they get to that end point. For some, a hot dog is a hot dog.

Off topic politic rants were deleted. Stay on topic folks.

quote:

Originally posted by dgsprok

The hydrolyzed proteins are fillers, indeed. Authentic sausages don't use it--it's a shortcut for mass producing and cost reasons. To each his own, but as we say in Germany ,Mir ist es NICHT Wurst!''

You've taken this out of context from what I know of the saying; Mir ist es NICHT Wurst!

Sie sagen das nur so, nicht wahr?