Do you take the skin off bratwurst before cooking?
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jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
No. I don’t usually take the skin off any sausage.
You can though, for things like soup or some kind of fry-up.
You can though, for things like soup or some kind of fry-up.
Neither do I except if there is printing on the plastic. Then I'm guessing it really is non-edible.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
No.
Try it both ways, see which you prefer.
Try it both ways, see which you prefer.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
You can, but I don't. I normally buy bratwurst from a butcher shop that makes their own and know they're a certain quality and I prefer the mouthfeel of a sausage with a casing.
OK, I stand corrected, again. We are talking about Bratwurst here. I have never seen Bratwurst with an extra inedible skin. So no, I do not remove the casing. As casey mentioned, the snap is great! and wanted.
No. I don't take the skin off a hot dog either.
Linda0818
Head Chef
How would one even go about doing that?
As for bratwurst and most other sausages, I too like it with the casing on.
This topic has made me curious as to how companies can do millions of packages of sausage and how they make them in the factory. I mean, do they just keep a boatload of animal intestines hanging around specifically for that purpose? Or do they make the casings out of other [edible] materials? I think I'll look into that this evening. Would be interesting to find out.
Linda0818
Head Chef
I looked up what "artificial" casings are made from and it says collagen and cellulose and it's used primarily in meats that are pre-peeled before they are sold, like hot dogs and deli meats.
Edit to add that I just read Johnsonville Brats are fully cooked, premium, coarsely ground pork sausages in a 5.75-inch beef collagen casing, already browned with grill marks and grilled for superior flavor.
Interesting. I'm wondering if there are any sausage manufacturers that use actual animal intestine.
Asking that question, here is the answer I found: No. Intestines were the original casings when sausages were first invented. They are sometimes still used in all natural butchers. These days most sausages are made with “Manufactured artificial casings are made of cellulose, collagen or synthetic materials.”
Makes sense, I suppose, for mass production. But those little corner butchers more than likely use animal intestine.
Edit to add that I just read Johnsonville Brats are fully cooked, premium, coarsely ground pork sausages in a 5.75-inch beef collagen casing, already browned with grill marks and grilled for superior flavor.
Interesting. I'm wondering if there are any sausage manufacturers that use actual animal intestine.
Asking that question, here is the answer I found: No. Intestines were the original casings when sausages were first invented. They are sometimes still used in all natural butchers. These days most sausages are made with “Manufactured artificial casings are made of cellulose, collagen or synthetic materials.”
Makes sense, I suppose, for mass production. But those little corner butchers more than likely use animal intestine.
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Johnsonville sells sausages two ways, fully cooked near the hot dogs, or raw in the meat department, with "natural casings."
I find the casings on the fully cooked versions a bit chewy, but the casings on the raw ones, once cooked, are fine with me.
CD
and all this makes me think of Hagis.... all natural casings, LOL!
Linda0818
Head Chef
Pretty much my same exact thoughts.
Linda0818
Head Chef
Oddly, that's something I've always wanted to try.
Don't think we could find good haggis in America, though. Not proper haggis, anyway. The only ingredient that concerns me a little is lung. But I'd probably still try it.
Silversage
Head Chef
I never remove casings from sausage.
When I make my own sausage I always use natural casings - aka intestines.
When I make my own sausage I always use natural casings - aka intestines.
Badjak
Sous Chef
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Snap
I read somewhere recently about hagis getting ready to be imported again direct from Scotland. There was some mention of the lung content but I don't remember exactly what. Also do'nt remember the destination, Canada or the U.S.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
Haggis can be made in a casserole dish, similar to our stuffing or hash.
Like all dishes some versions are great and some are disgusting.
This one sounds like a good place to start.
www.carolinescooking.com
Like all dishes some versions are great and some are disgusting.
This one sounds like a good place to start.
Simplified haggis - Caroline's Cooking
A simplified version of the traditional Scottish dish, haggis, using more commonly found ingredients but retaining the flavor and style of the original.
www.carolinescooking.com
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