Rote Wurst – A southern German sausage delicacy
- Type
- Cooked sausage
- Level
- Medium
- Rating
- Rate this recipe
Today I’ll show you how to make an rote Wurst yourself. It is simple and super fast to make.
The rote Wurst is a classic in southern Germany, especially in Baden-Württemberg. With its crunchy texture and taste, it is not only a popular snack for in between meals, but also a highlight at any barbecue. It tastes great roasted.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete rote wurst recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Table of Contents
Rote Wurst – What do you need to make it?
Ingredients per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| fat pork belly | 400 g | 40 % |
| lean beef | 300 g | 30 % |
| bulk / crushed ice / ice water | 200 g | 20 % |
| pork loin fat | 100 g | 10 % |
Spices per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| salt | 15.5 g |
| Cutter Phosphate (e.g BRIFISOL 414, PhosThis!, Ames Phos) | 3 g |
| Cure #1 | 2.5 g |
| white pepper | 2 g |
| garlic powder | 0.5 g |
| mace | 0.5 g |
| coriander | 0.5 g |
| ginger | 0.4 g |
| Optional 1 g caraway | — |
The equipment to make rote Wurst
A meat grinder cuts the meat into small pieces so it can be mixed with the seasoning. Cut the meat into pieces that fit the feed tube before grinding.
Sausage stuffer, grinder attachment or funnel
Use a sausage stuffer to fill the mixture into its casing. A stuffing attachment for your meat grinder or a hand funnel also works when you are starting out.
Cutter or food processor
A cutter makes the sausage mixture fine and uniform. A food processor also works for small batches.
Natural casings / jars
The rote wurst is stuffed into natural casings. I recommend you to use pork casing caliber 28/30.
If you want to make rote wurst without casings, you can use jars and boil down the mixture.
Smoker
You need the smoker if you want to smoke your rote wurst.
Make rote Wurst – Step-By-Step Instructions
Cut the meat and fat into pieces suitable for mincing. You can vary the 2. size depending on how big your meat grinder is. You should separate the meat and fat. This will help you later in the cutting process.
Put the meat and fat pieces in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This will help you later with the mincing and ensure that the mass does not get too warm.
Grind the frozen meat / fat twice “separately” through the finest perforated disc. I recommend you to grind the fat and lean meat separately, as we add it at different times during the chopping process.
Put the meat together with the salt, cure #1 and put the spices into the cutter/food processor and turn it on.
Add the Cutter Phosphate.
Gradually add the ice / cold water. This will keep the mass cool. The mass should not rise above 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 °F). Measure the temperature occasionally for this.
Then you can gradually add the fat.
Once the mass has a nice formation, you can put it out.
Now fill the sausage meat into the casing. To do this, hold the casing tightly on the filling spout and let it slowly fill up more and more. This part takes some practice. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work 100% right away. Important: Do not fill the casing too tightly, otherwise it will burst later during frying. I use a pork casing caliber 28/30.
Now turn off the sausage. You can decide how big your rote wurst should be. To do this, press the sausage to the desired length with two fingers on each hand and rotate it forward a few times. Then leave out one sausage length and repeat the process.
Now place the sausages in the smoker for 20 minutes at 50 °C (122 °F) to dry out.
As soon as the casing is no longer moist, you can increase the temperature to 60 °C (140 °F). The rote Wurst should now be smoked for 45 – 60 minutes.
Broth your rote Wurst at 70 °C (158 °F) for about 20 minutes.
Now put the sausage in ice water. This will cool it down quickly.
Your rote Wurst is ready 😄. Enjoy it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between rote Wurst and an ordinary bratwurst?
What is the difference between rote Wurst and an ordinary bratwurst?
The rote Wurst is a scalded sausage and an ordinary bratwurst is a raw one. That is the whole difference, and it is why this recipe carries a smoking and a poaching step where a bratwurst recipe stops at the twisting. Here the sausage is smoked and then brought up to temperature in hot water, so it comes off the smoker already cooked and you are only reheating it when you put it in the pan.
The colour is the other half of the name. It comes from the cure in the spice list working together with the smoke, not from paprika or anything else added for the look.
How do you cook rote Wurst?
How do you cook rote Wurst?
On the grill or in a pan, and it does not need long, because it is already cooked. My tip: score the casing lightly before it goes on the heat. It will then split where you cut it instead of bursting somewhere you did not choose, and it keeps its shape.
If you want it gentler, warm it through in water that is hot but not boiling. Boiling water bursts the casing and the sausage gives its juice to the pot instead of to you.
How long is the shelf life of the rote Wurst?
How long is the shelf life of the rote Wurst?
The rote wurst can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. You can also freeze it optimally. Then it will keep much longer. You do not have to be afraid, it does not lose any flavor.
