Bratwurst is a funny little word, isn’t it? “Wurst” means sausage and “brat” derives from “brato,” the Old High German word for hacked meat. Bratwurst in the United States is usually served on a hot dog bun or with a hard roll and topped with assorted condiments typically used on hot dogs, such as mustard, onions, relish and sauerkraut. Bratwurst should be boiled before grilling to ensure that they are thoroughly cooked and picking up bratwurst fresh from your local butcher will make them a healthier alternative to hot dogs as they will not contain nitrates. However, smoked bratwurst (“krainerwurst”) will contain nitrates due to the smoking process.
Written by Tom Stachecki
Some say the grilling season is just about over. When summer ends, the BBQ is retired until spring. But there are those (like myself) that feel there is no “end season to grilling.” Why miss out on perfectly grilled juicy burgers, steaks and just about anything else that brings forth that summer flavor all year round? Us die-hards just decide what we will be grilling next.
I’m already getting in the mood to sharpen up on my bratwurst grilling techniques again for Oktoberfest. Preparation is everything. I remember what I did last year, but the question is — what will I do different this year? There are so many fun options to try. I do like simmering our brats in St. Pauli Girl for starters, and then finishing them on the grill for the perfect brown grill marks. Just as the natural casings we use start to crack open and the juices begin to ooze, throw them on a perfectly toasted hoagie bun smothered with sautéed sweet onions. I do play around with mustards for some additional excitement. I also see in my future roasted garlic sausage for Seahawk Sunday football.
Until then, I say — “grill away.”
It’s August and that means it’s National Sandwich Month! Yes, this celebration does exist and we’re pretty psyched about it.
Here are some of our favorite sandwiches we just can’t get enough of:
The Rueben: A deli standard stuffed with corned beef brisket, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing—on this we can all agree. And we can agree, too, that it’s one of the most delicious things ever to get squished between two slices of bread. It’s savory, sloppy, and deeply satisfying. Even better, prepare it with Angus Meats age-old family corned-beef that is 21-day hand-cured and hand-turned daily by our Brine Master. Our blend of herbs and pickling spices bring back that old-fashioned traditional taste your Reuben demands!
Steak Sandwich: Prepared with steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons then served on bread or a roll. Steak sandwiches are sometimes served with toppings of cheese, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, and in some instances fried eggs, cole slaw, and french fries. Is your mouth watering yet?
What are some of your favs? Hashtag your tasty delights to us @AngusBrands #NationalSandwichMonth. Here are some of our staff picks:
Suzie: Turkey bacon ranch
Roger: Meatball sub
Kale: Roast beef
Jeff: French dip
To learn more about hand-cured corned-beef, contact us at 509-482-7033.
Jarrod, Tom and Jeff were recently invited to the banquet kitchen of the Northern Quest Casino where they held a beef training class on how to break down a shoulder clod and the many different cuts of steaks and roasts derived from the shoulder clod.
So what the heck is a beef shoulder clod?
It is part of the chuck on a side of beef. What or where is the chuck you ask? The chuck is what is known as a primal cut, and is located on both the front and left sides of the cow just below and behind the neck. The clod is one of two sub-primals in the chuck, and is located next to, and below the chuck roll, but above the brisket. The clod is typically used for creating roasts and hamburger, but it holds so much more value.
The clod holds the second most tender cut of meat on the cow, the beef shoulder top blade, which can be cut down into flat iron steaks. It can also be cut down into ranch steaks, stew meat, and kebab meat. If you are inclined, you can also cut London Broils from the clod heart, which is the center muscle group from the shoulder clod.
First things first, your knife has to be extremely sharp, a dull knife is a dangerous knife!!
Start by removing the top blade, and then separate the shoulder center into two pieces, saving half to smoke, and cut the other into ranch steaks. Cut the petite center, which is a muscle that runs along the top center of the clod, into cubes for use later in a stew, or for skewers. You can also cut a few pounds of trimmings and smaller cuts into cubes to be ground into ground beef. We ended up with 6 flat iron steaks, 8 ranch steaks, stew meat, ground beef, and a roast to smoke.
Would you like a hands-on tutorial? Angus Brands offers special programs just like this. To learn more, contact us at 509-482-7033
Your customers may be tired of the customary ham. Start a new spring tradition and stand out with this elegant roasted leg of lamb. There’s very little prep work required, but when it comes to lamb, patience is a virtue, but it’s worth it.
Here’s a nice lamb roast marinade:
6 lb boneless or bone-in leg of lamb roast
1 1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c lemon juice
1 c white wine
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T stone-ground mustard
2 t fresh lemon thyme
4 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 t fresh pepper, ground
4 T olive oil
Place lamb and marinade into a plastic bag. Squeeze as much air from the bag as possible and seal. Marinate for several hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator. At least 30 min prior to roasting bring to room temperature with the roast inside the bag.
Preheat oven to 350°. Remove roast from bag. Pour marinade into roasting pan. On the stovetop, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Brown the roast on all sides to seal in the juices. Place browned roast into the roasting pan, fat side up (use a rack if you wish). Cook approximately 1 hour and 45 min, basting every 20-30 min, until center of roast reaches your preferred level of doneness. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature (130° rare, 135° medium rare, 140° medium). Do not overcook.
When the desired temperature is reached, remove the roast and let it rest 15-20 min. Reserve remaining pan juices for serving. Remove any butcher’s string before carving.
Enjoy!
Spring lamb is an Easter and a Passover dinner-table tradition. Yet this is also the trickiest time of the year to buy it because supply is limited—the bulk of the new season isn’t available till May or June—and what is in stores will have been fed mainly grain, rather than grass, which makes for fattier meat. Most of what you will see is four-to-six-month-old Colorado lamb, and even that isn’t plentiful, so stores fall back on tougher, gamier ten-to-eleven-month-old lamb to make up the numbers. How do you tell the difference? Look for a smaller leg, which means the lamb is younger. Or seek out lamb from Australia or local small boutique farmers: They’re grass-fed, generally less mature, and more tender.
Colorado Characteristics: The most common American lamb is fed on grass prior to being plumped up on grain in feed lots for a few months. This produces a larger animal than a pure grass-fed lamb—up to 85 pounds—with well-marbled pinkish-red meat and a large eye nugget on the rib. The flavor is rich and mellow, but the meat can be fatty. Don’t pay much attention to the USDA-prime label: Only grain-fed lambs are fat enough to qualify, and lamb raised outside the U.S. is grass-fed.
Australian Characteristics: The next most plentiful lamb, after Colorado; 70 percent of it is shipped fresh. The animals are free of all growth hormones and 99 percent grass-fed (occasionally, a small amount of grain is used). The ten-month-old lambs weigh, on average, 40 to 50 pounds; the flesh is lean and pale pink, with a sweet mild flavor. The Australian lamb currently available has been raised under prime summer conditions, so it’s a good time to buy.
New Zealand Characteristics: After Australia, New Zealand is the next big producer, although not as much of its lamb seems to end up on these shores—and 90 percent of what does get here is frozen. This all-natural pasture-raised lamb is small, with a carcass weight of between 33 and 40 pounds at four months. The meat is lean, pale in color, with a stronger flavor than Australian lamb.
Angus Brands proudly offers domestic and imported (New Zealand, Australia) 100% natural lamb. Raised in limited quantities, our lamb selections include frozen and fresh custom cut racks, cutlets, chops, stew meat, sirloins, and tenderloins.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with our delicious corned beef!
Our age-old family recipe blends herbs and spices that bring back that traditional taste your customers are craving. Hand-cut and trimmed, our 21-day naturally cured corned beef is personally turned daily by our Brine Master.
It’s not just for dinner! So, how about breakfast? Add potatoes and top with a fried egg for a tasty home-made corned beef hash. Lunch? Great in a cold sandwich, or as a traditional toasty Rueben. Appetizer? Serve thin slices with your favorite crackers, Swiss cheese and hot mustard. Just don’t forget a pint of Guinness.
To learn more about our corned beef, call Jeff Curry at 509-482-7033
We are pleased to announce P&L Poultry of Spokane has merged with Angus Brands. With an extensive background in the poultry industry, Pat Lancaster founded P&L Poultry almost 20 years ago. Angus Brands looks forward to bringing Pat’s poultry expertise into the mix for future product developments.
“The merger should be a win-win for both P&L Poultry and Angus Brands. P&L Poultry gains a vastly expanded line of new, innovative Angus Brands products, while P&L Poultry brings Angus Brands 30 years of retail experience in the poultry business. We are both excited for the future potential.” – Pat Lancaster
Welcome to the Angus Brands family, Pat!
The question is: do you have to split the 20-ounce steak with your sweetheart, or do you each get your own? For the sake of love and happiness, order two? To order or for more information, contact us at 888-302-6487.
