Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (Michael Hoffman)

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:00:22 GMT

C'mon. You guys know the best brats come from Carle's in Bucyrus, Ohio.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:57:51 GMT

Another challenger emerges:
Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly brats nab several awards

We will try them tomorrow.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (BuddyRoadhouse)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:36:55 GMT

Notice the detail on the Point beer bottle in the back...we're walking, we're walking...we're stopping...

Buddy

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (EatingTheRoad)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:53:11 GMT

John Tebeau has a summer sausage, cheese, beer painting from Wisconsin today:
http://johntebeau.wordpre...0-paintings-in-30-days

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (quijote)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:42:45 GMT

Ha! You beat me to it! I'm glad to know a few of us in the Mke area are keeping watch. And I look forward to making a mid-winter trip to the new Schwai's for some encased warmth.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:08:53 GMT

Riding their victory in The Great Bratwurst Challenge, Schwai's Meats is opening a third location.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Schwai's Meat and Sausage plans to open a store in Cedarburg on Nov. 16, company co-owner Tom Schwai said Tuesday.

Schwai's, a third-generation meat market that has been around for 70 years, will move into a storefront at W62 N601 Washington Ave. in Cedarburg's historic district.
The location had been home to Hoffmann's Meat Market for 91 years. Hoffmann's closed in 2008.

Schwai's has locations in Fredonia and Jackson.

Schwai, who owns the meat and sausage company with his wife, Kathey, said opening the Cedarburg location was a no-brainer.

"Everything's there. The coolers. Everything. How could you go wrong?" Tom Schwai said. "The old time doors are there. It's an old time butcher shop."

"I can't wait till we get it open."

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:21:25 GMT

Pancho - I don't disagree with what you said. I think to best pick a favorite, the brats need to sampled in small numbers on buns, and possibly with condiments. You may want to put up Schwai's against a few of your favorites (I think Jacobson's brats are first rate) and do a taste test with your friends. I think you'll find some surprises.

Greymo - A German dinner sounds really good this time of year. Bobbi and I were discussing doing a German meatloaf that was in our paper earlier this week.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (Greymo)

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:54:41 GMT

I served a German dinner tonight to guests. The meal was wonderful and they raved about the potato salad.............thank you, Mrs. JRPfeff!

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (Pancho)

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:50:39 GMT

Great report on Wisconsin's finest? Have yet to try the Schwai's. Will take a Sunday motorcycle trip over to Jackson for a sample. However, I did sample the Roseland second place winner and was very disappointed. I picked up a 5-pack from the local Aldi market (frozen)...at $2.49, a great price, but that's it. I cooked them over charcoal indirect on my Weber after defrosting. They looked at first glance very fatty. Grilled up nicely, and they were average in my opinion. I truly think it is such a subjective opinion to break down such a vast number of brands and arrive a grand prize winner. I can't wait to try one of the Schwai's. Please don't misinterpret this as a cut on the wonderful report....I truly enjoyed reading and the wonderful pictures.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (irisarbor)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:14:04 GMT

Thanks so much "Abe", I also couldn't resist all the raves I was hearing about the potato salad, and with all that bacon, maybe even the twins will eat it! LOL

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:23:02 GMT

abe - Thanks for being my scribe on that recipe. I was never going to get around to typing it myself.

Brad - No thanks on that suggestion. Grilled potatoes would mean more work for ME.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (cjucoder)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:38:30 GMT

Thanks JRP and abe, I've saved that recipe (but I won't tell my doc :} Can't pass it up with all the people saying "best ever tasted" and I love the idea of browning the potatoes first. Doesn't look like too much sugar either, I hate when German Potato Salad is too sweet (or BBQ sauce, or coleslaw, etc).

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (abe_froeman)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:43:09 GMT

Those corrections have now been made- thanks for catching them!

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (MilwFoodlovers)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:40:19 GMT

Certainly that was the best German potato salad either of us had ever tasted.
Thanks "abe" for the transcription.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (ScreamingChicken)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:24:51 GMT

Hmmm...perhaps the Smoke Day 2010 variant could use potatoes that've been grilled instead of broiled.

Brad

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (Greymo)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:31:20 GMT

It actually calls for 24 potatoes but I am sure that there is enough dressing for an extra one!

The first amount of vinegar should be 2 T. which are mixed into the potatoes upon removing from oven.

The other vinegar, maybe, in directions part should read to stir in the 1/2 cup of vinegar. I think that would make it more plain to the cook,

You did a great job copying this down for us and I am sure that it will be much appreciated by those who use it.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (abe_froeman)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:21:06 GMT

I took the liberty of re-typing the German Potato Salad recipe, so it's text instead of an image. If anyone notices any errors, let me know.

CORRECTED:

German Potato Salad
From Cuisine, July/August 1997

Makes 8 cups
Work Time: 45 mins.
Cooking Time: 30 mins.

24 red potatoes, skin on, sliced 1/2” thick
3 T olive oil
1 T kosher salt
2 t black pepper
2 T cider vinegar

Dressing:
½ lb bacon, diced
¼ C bacon fat
1 C onion, diced
1 T flour
½ C cider vinegar
¼ C beef broth
2 T light brown sugar

Sprinkle on at the end:
1/3 C chopped green onions (green part only)
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat broiler on high. Place oven rack 4” from heat source.

Toss potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Broil potatoes for 10 minutes, then flip them with tongs and broil for another 5 minutes. They should be crisp outside and tender inside.

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Stir in the cider vinegar. Cover the bowl with foil to keep the potatoes warm and set aside.

For the dressing:

Cook the chopped bacon; when it foams, it’s perfect. Drain the fat, reserving ¼ C of it. Set the bacon aside.

Return the bacon fat to the pan and sauté the chopped onions until caramelized. Stir in the flour to thicken it, about 2 mins. Whisk in the 1/2 C cider vinegar, the broth and brown sugar.

When the dressing is thick (like honey), return the bacon to the pan. Simmer and stir for 1-2 minutes. Pour the dressing over the potatoes in the bowl.

Add green onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently and serve at room temperature.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (MilwFoodlovers)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:01:27 GMT

Hey King T, thanks for the link as I love the site. I especially loved the article on Cafe Trinidad Mrs MFL and I were regulars at Horace and Rita's West Indies Inn in Milwaukee before they closed at least a decade ago. I've had roti in Jamaica but it not even close to that made by a Trini, which is what Horace and Rita were. I can't wait until I have time to explore this fascinating food blog more.
Mmm, oxtails!

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (KingT)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:55:15 GMT

Anyone on this thread tried Country Meats in Lake Geneva? I think they are some of the best. Ive had alot from the spots of the area and these were just great on every level.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (BuddyRoadhouse)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:48:05 GMT

Thank you JRP! You just made my life a bit easier.

Buddy

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:08:53 GMT

Greymo - I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. We had leftovers put away from the brat party for the next day. My son discovered that he likes German Potato Salad that day and ate it all before we got up the next morning.

The recipe is from Cuisine at Home. We get a lot of really good recipes from that magazine.

Al - The recipe is at this link.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (mayor al)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:46:28 GMT

OK I've lost track of who is the contact for a Potato Salad Recipe Request.

Whomever, Please forward a copy to me when you have a minute!
Thanks, AL

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (Greymo)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:14:52 GMT

I made Mrs. JRPfeff's amazing German potato salad last night and it was awesome! This is different than any other German potato salad that I have ever eaten and I will never make any other kind again. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (MilwFoodlovers)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:51:39 GMT

I shop frequently at the Klement factory store and they do contract sausage making for a number of well known companies. The hot dogs in particular vary widely in taste so I suspect the customers supply the formula and they just make them to their specs. Some summer sausages just have a house label slapped on a generic product. My guess is Aldi's specified the seasonings and fat content for their house brand.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (cjucoder)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:01:15 GMT

So... does Klement simply repackage their current product as Roseland, or does Klement have a different recipe for the product that is sold as Roseland?

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:44:38 GMT

Klement's won their first round match, then lost in the second round to (drum roll) Roseland. Roseland shut them out.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (X1)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:59:56 GMT

I'm glad to hear it.

Interesting that Klement's brand didn't make it to the Final Four (I think??), then.

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (JRPfeff)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:02:32 GMT

I got really, really good news today. ALDI's Roseland Bratwurst are produced in Wisconsin by the Klement Sausage Company!!

Was there ever a doubt that those were Cheesehead brats?

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (ScreamingChicken)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:43:47 GMT

So you're saying the winning brat came from a chain?!?!?

Oh, the horror!

Brad

Re:Wisconsin's best bratwurst? Let's find out. (MilwFoodlovers)

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:09:39 GMT

I'm told there is another, somewhat cooler Schwai's location, and it is indeed in Buddy's beloved Fredonia. My directions were not very precise but I'm told to take I-43N to where you can exit on Hwy 57 going towards Kohler. Just a short journey off of I-43 heading north on 57 you will find County H and thus:
Schwai's
W3940 County Highway H
Fredonia, WI 53021-9784 (262) 692-2731
If anyone journeys there, try both their summers and beef sticks. I found that they suit me to a T and you might like them too. They also sell a type of blood sausage, unknown to me, that I may try some day.