📝 About This Recipe
Hailing from the heart of Bavaria, Gelbwurst is a beloved German delicatessen staple known for its incredibly smooth, pale interior and its iconic saffron-yellow casing. This mild, citrus-kissed sausage is traditionally made with a blend of lean veal and pork, seasoned delicately with white pepper, mace, and a hint of lemon zest. Its velvety texture and gentle flavor profile make it a favorite for children and connoisseurs alike, offering a true taste of old-world German butchery.
🥗 Ingredients
The Meat Base
- 500 grams Lean Veal (chilled and cut into small cubes)
- 300 grams Pork Shoulder (Lean) (chilled and cubed)
- 200 grams Pork Back Fat (Speck) (very cold, cubed)
Seasonings and Aromatics
- 18 grams Sea Salt (non-iodized)
- 2 grams White Pepper (finely ground)
- 1 gram Mace (ground)
- 0.5 grams Ginger Powder
- 0.5 grams Cardamom (ground)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest (finely grated, organic preferred)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley (extremely finely minced)
Binding and Casing
- 200 grams Crushed Ice (to keep the emulsion cold)
- 2-3 pieces Yellow Cellulose Casings (40-50mm diameter, or natural beef middles)
- 1 pinch Saffron or Turmeric (optional, for dyeing natural casings)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Place all meat and fat cubes in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes until they are very cold and slightly firm, but not frozen solid. This is crucial for a perfect emulsion.
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2
Grind the chilled veal, pork, and back fat through the finest plate of your meat grinder (usually 2mm or 3mm). If you want an extra smooth texture, grind it twice.
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3
Transfer the ground meat to a high-speed food processor or a professional bowl cutter. Add the salt, white pepper, mace, ginger, cardamom, and lemon zest.
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4
Begin processing the meat while slowly adding the crushed ice. The ice keeps the friction heat down and provides the necessary moisture for the 'Brät' (sausage meat) to emulsify.
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5
Continue processing until the mixture reaches a temperature of no more than 12°C (54°F). The resulting paste should be pale pink, shiny, and completely smooth, similar to a fine mousse.
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6
Fold in the finely minced parsley by hand or with a few short pulses so it is evenly distributed but not pulverized.
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7
Prepare your casings. If using the traditional yellow cellulose casings, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to make them pliable. If using natural casings, you can add turmeric to the soaking water to achieve the signature yellow hue.
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8
Fit your sausage stuffer with a medium-wide nozzle. Fill the stuffer with the meat emulsion, taking care to press out any air pockets.
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9
Slide the casing onto the nozzle and tie the end securely with butcher's twine. Stuff the casings firmly but leave enough room to tie the other end without the casing bursting.
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10
Prick any visible air bubbles with a sterilized needle. Tie off the sausages into 20-25cm lengths.
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11
Bring a large pot of water to a temperature of 75°C-80°C (167°F-176°F). Do not let the water boil, as this will cause the fat to separate and the sausage to become rubbery.
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12
Poach the sausages for approximately 50 minutes (rule of thumb: 1 minute per mm of casing diameter). Use a thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 70°C (158°F).
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13
Immediately transfer the cooked sausages to an ice-water bath for 15 minutes to stop the cooking process and set the emulsion.
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14
Dry the sausages and refrigerate overnight before slicing. This allows the flavors to mature and the texture to firm up perfectly.
💡 Chef's Tips
Temperature is everything: keep your meat and equipment near freezing to prevent the fat from melting during grinding. If you don't have a meat grinder, ask your butcher to grind the veal and pork together three times on the finest setting. Never let the poaching water boil; a gentle 'shiver' in the water is all you need for a tender result. For a truly authentic look, use the specific yellow-coated fibrous casings available at specialty butcher suppliers. If the emulsion 'breaks' (looks grainy), it’s usually because it got too warm; try adding a bit more ice and pulsing quickly.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve thinly sliced on fresh 'Graubrot' (German rye bread) with a light smear of unsalted butter. Pair with a crisp, cold Helles Lager or a dry Riesling to balance the richness of the veal. Include it on a traditional 'Brotzeit' platter alongside radishes, Emmental cheese, and sweet Bavarian mustard. Dice it into a 'Wurstsalat' (sausage salad) with onions, vinegar, oil, and pickles for a refreshing lunch. Traditionally offered as a 'Stadtwurst' snack for children at German butcher shops—serve a slice plain to the little ones!