Wurst Fest '09

Papa Diva is the best, so, naturally, I treated him to the worst ... er, I mean wurst! There was a belated Father's Day cookout, chez Mama and Papa Diva, this weekend and a selection of German meats were the stars of the show.

The succulent sausages were procured at Noack's in Meriden, Connecticut and they were spectacular. If you're anywhere near that part of the state, I highly recommend a trip to Noack's. Their products are as fresh and delicious as can be and, trust me, once you're inside you're going to want to by *everything* ... which we very nearly did.

We walked away with an obscene amount of meat: knockwurst, bratwurst, frankfurters and "half and halfs", a special kind of weisswurst made with finely ground veal and pork. Each sausage was more delicious than the next. Noack's products are handmade, home-smoked and nitrate-free. This is an old-school German butcher shop that specializes in a wide, wide variety of quality meats ... and the shop itself is charming to boot.

Pictured above left is their amazing "half and half" and two of their stellar knockwursts. Prior to grilling, I like to give the sausage a quick simmer in a spicy bath of beer. Here's how to do it:

Beer Bath:

• 2 bottles of beer, either lager or brown beer*
• 1 small to medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 tsp. pickling spices (I use McCormick's)
• 1 tsp. of mustard seeds
  

Pour the beer into a large sauce pan, add the onion, pickling spices and mustard seeds. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, but do not let the mixture boil over. Once it boils, add the sausages, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the sausages and cook them on the grill over high heat until thoroughly cooked, and well browned. Serve immediately with a selection of German mustards and enjoy!

A brief word about the beer ... on Saturday I used two bottles of Rolling Rock, because that's what was in Papa Diva's fridge. Here at home, I've used Brooklyn Brown Ale with equally great success. I'm not sure that the style of the beer matters, but the taste most certainly does. Use something you'd want to drink, something delicious, and the results will surely satisfy.


I ask you, is that sausage not a thing of beauty? The quick beer braise lends a bit of flavor and helps to ensure that the meats will be thoroughly cooked and ridiculously juicy. We like to round out the meal with some cooked red cabbage, baked beans, some really nice rye bread and, for purists, some quality sauerkraut. I'm not a purist, so I opted for the red cabbage and some steamed fresh broccoli from bro's garden. It was magnificent!

The cabbage and the kraut came from Noack's as well. Even if you're not in CT, you can sample Noack's delights ... they ship anywhere in the US. Hit up that link to place an order or find directions to their market.

For those in NYC, you can obtain some spectacular sausages of your own from any one of these fine purveyors: Schaller & Weber on Second Avenue @ 86th Street, Koglin German Hams in Grand Central Terminal Market @ Grand Central Station, and Marlow and Daughters Butcher Shop @ 95 Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I've given you the know-how and the sources ... now go on and have a Wurst Fest of your own. You can thank me later.

Bon appetit!