📝 About This Recipe
Originating from the historic butcher shops of Nuremberg and surrounding Franconia, Stadtwurst is a quintessential German 'Brühwurst' known for its distinctive ring shape and coarse, smoky profile. This recipe captures the perfect balance of lean pork, tender fat, and a signature spice blend dominated by white pepper and mace. Traditionally smoked over beechwood, this sausage offers a snap that gives way to a juicy, aromatic interior that defines Bavarian comfort food.
🥗 Ingredients
The Meat Base
- 1200 grams Pork Shoulder (lean, chilled to 0°C/32°F and cubed)
- 400 grams Pork Back Fat (firm fat, chilled and cubed)
- 400 grams Crushed Ice (to keep the emulsion cold)
The Stadtwurst Spice Blend
- 36 grams Nitrite Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1) (essential for the pink color and safety)
- 6 grams White Pepper (freshly ground)
- 1.5 grams Mace (ground)
- 1 gram Ginger Powder
- 1 gram Coriander (ground)
- 6 grams Phosphate Binder (food-grade sausage binder for texture)
- 2 grams Sugar (Dextrose) (to balance the salt)
Casings and Preparation
- 3 meters Beef Rounds (37/40mm caliber, soaked in lukewarm water)
- 2 cups Beechwood Chips (for smoking)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Thoroughly clean the beef rounds and soak them in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes to ensure elasticity and remove excess salt.
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2
Cut the pork shoulder and back fat into 2cm cubes. Spread them on a tray and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes until the edges are crunchy with frost but not frozen solid.
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3
Grind the chilled meat and fat through a coarse 6mm or 8mm plate. Stadtwurst is known for its 'grobe' (coarse) texture, so avoid a fine grind for the main body.
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4
Take 1/4 of the ground mixture and place it in a high-speed food processor (cutter). Add the crushed ice, curing salt, and phosphate binder.
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5
Process the small portion on high speed until it forms a smooth, sticky 'Brät' (emulsion), ensuring the temperature stays below 12°C (54°F).
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6
In a large chilled mixing bowl, combine the smooth emulsion with the remaining coarse ground meat and all the spices (pepper, mace, ginger, coriander, and sugar).
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7
Mix by hand or with a paddle attachment for 5-8 minutes. You are looking for 'protein extraction'—the meat should become very sticky and hold together when you pull it apart.
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8
Load the mixture into a sausage stuffer, pressing down firmly to remove any air pockets which could cause gray spots in the finished sausage.
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9
Stuff the mixture into the beef rounds. Do not overstuff; the sausage needs a little flexibility to be formed into its iconic ring shape.
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10
Tie the ends of the casing together to form rings of approximately 300-400g each. Use butcher's twine to secure the knot.
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11
Hang the sausages in a smoker preheated to 60°C (140°F). Dry the casings for 20 minutes without smoke until the surface feels like parchment paper.
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12
Apply beechwood smoke at 60-70°C (140-158°F) for about 45-60 minutes until the sausages reach a beautiful golden-reddish hue.
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13
Transfer the smoked sausages to a water bath heated to exactly 75°C (167°F). Poach them for 30-35 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 70°C (158°F).
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14
Immediately plunge the cooked sausages into an ice-water bath for 10 minutes. This stops the cooking and prevents the casings from shriveling.
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15
Hang the sausages at room temperature for an hour to 'bloom' (develop color) before refrigerating overnight to allow the flavors to fully mature.
💡 Chef's Tips
Temperature is everything: keep your meat and equipment near freezing to prevent the fat from melting, which results in a mealy texture. If you don't have a smoker, you can add 2 tsp of high-quality liquid smoke to the mix and go straight to the poaching step, though the flavor won't be as deep. Always use white pepper instead of black; it provides a sharper, cleaner heat that is traditional for Franconian wurst. Don't skip the ice bath; it's the secret to the 'knackig' (snappy) bite that Germans love.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve 'Stadtwurst mit Musik': sliced cold in a vinaigrette of oil, vinegar, onions, and pickles. Enjoy it warm with a side of spicy German mustard and a fresh soft pretzel (Brezel). Pair with a cold Franconian Kellerbier or a dry Riesling to cut through the richness of the pork. Slice it thickly and serve alongside a warm German potato salad (Kartoffelsalat) with bacon.