Weisswurst
Bavarian White Sausage
Authentic Bavarian Weisswurst, a delicate veal sausage traditionally enjoyed as a hearty Munich breakfast. The key is a fine grind and gentle poaching to preserve its tender texture and subtle flavor.
🧂 Ingredients
- 500 g Veal shoulder or leg, trimmed of sinew and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 200 g Pork back fat, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 200 ml Ice water(Keep very cold)
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon zest, finely grated
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 0.5 tsp White pepper
- 0.25 tsp Mace (ground)
- 0.5 tsp Sweet marjoram (dried)
- as needed Natural hog casings (about 30-35mm diameter)(Soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes, then rinsed)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the meat mixture: Chill the veal and pork fat in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes until firm but not frozen solid. This helps achieve a finer grind. Pass the chilled veal and pork fat through a meat grinder using a fine die (2-3mm). If you don't have a grinder, you can finely chop the meat and fat by hand, but the texture will be coarser.
⏱️ 45 minutes - 2
Combine and season: In a large, chilled bowl, combine the ground veal and pork fat. Add the finely chopped parsley, grated lemon zest, salt, white pepper, mace, and marjoram. Gradually add the ice water while mixing vigorously with your hands or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Continue mixing until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified, which indicates the proteins are binding. This should take about 10-15 minutes. The mixture should feel cold to the touch.
⏱️ 15 minutes - 3
Stuff the casings: Prepare your sausage stuffer. Rinse the soaked and drained hog casings. Carefully stuff the mixture into the casings, ensuring not to overfill them. Twist the casings into individual sausages, about 12-15 cm (5-6 inches) long. Prick any air bubbles gently with a fine needle.
⏱️ 30 minutes - 4
Poach the sausages: Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer. Do NOT let the water boil. The ideal poaching temperature is around 70-75°C (158-167°F). Carefully place the Weisswurst into the simmering water. Poach for 10-12 minutes, or until the sausages are firm to the touch and have turned a pale, opaque white. They should not be browned.
⏱️ 12 minutes - 5
Serve immediately: Remove the Weisswurst from the poaching water. Serve hot with traditional sweet mustard (Süßer Senf), a pretzel (Brezn), and a glass of wheat beer (Weißbier). Weisswurst is traditionally eaten before noon.
⏱️ 5 minutes
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓The traditional way to eat Weisswurst is 'zuzeln' (sucking the meat out of the casing), though it's also acceptable to cut them open and eat the filling.
- ✓Always serve with sweet Bavarian mustard; regular mustard is not traditional.
- ✓Weisswurst is best enjoyed fresh, ideally before noon, as per Bavarian custom.
- ✓Ensure all equipment and ingredients are kept cold throughout the process to prevent the fat from melting and ensure a good emulsion.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Add a pinch of ground cardamom or nutmeg for a slightly different spice profile.
- Experiment with different types of finely chopped herbs like chives or lovage.
- If hog casings are unavailable, beef middles can be used, though they will result in a thicker sausage.