Frankfurt · Hesse · Germany · No. 03 of 05 · 8 min read

Sausage as a federal matter

The Frankfurter Würstchen has a protected designation of origin since 1860 under Prussian food law. German sausage is not one thing — it is a taxonomy, and each type has specific ingredients and specific cooking methods.

By Klaus Werner · Frankfurt, Germany · Issue 47, Feature 03

I. The taxonomy

Bratwurst: fresh uncooked, grilled or pan-fried, never boiled. Weißwurst: white Munich sausage, veal and pork fat, poached in hot water below 80°C, eaten before noon. Frankfurter: thin, smoked, served in hot water, PDO since 1860. Currywurst: Berlin street food, sliced Bratwurst with ketchup-curry sauce. Blutwurst and Leberwurst: cold sausages eaten on bread as Abendbrot.

II. The regional argument

Nürnberger Rostbratwurst is tiny, grilled over beechwood, the only bratwurst with PDO. Thüringer is larger, caraway and marjoram. Bavarian is paler, more veal, more lemon. Three products that share a name. Ordering «a Bratwurst» without specifying which kind in a region with a local variety is an admission of ignorance that will be gently corrected.

III. The correct temperatures

Bratwurst: medium heat, not high. 71°C internal. Weißwurst: hot water at 80°C, 10 minutes, casing must not burst. Frankfurter: same as Weißwurst, 5–7 minutes. A split casing is a temperature failure. Correctable next time.

IV. The mustard question

Sweet mustard with Weißwurst. Medium-hot with Bratwurst. Ketchup with Currywurst — and that is correct, not a compromise. The mustard is not a condiment in the casual sense. It is a specific pairing with a specific sausage type.

Recipe — Pan-Fried Bratwurst

Klaus Werner · Frankfurt · serves 4 · 20 minutes · medium heat throughout

Ingredients

The method

  1. Heat heavy skillet over medium — not high. Add fat. When shimmering, add Bratwurst.
  2. Cook, turning every 3–4 minutes, until uniformly browned on all sides — 15–18 minutes total.
  3. Internal temperature should reach 71°C (160°F). Rest 2 minutes.
  4. Optional onion: caramelise slowly in rendered fat, 20 minutes.
  5. Serve with medium-hot mustard, sauerkraut, Brötchen or boiled potatoes.

About the contributor

Klaus Werner

Klaus Werner writes about German sausage traditions and food designations from Frankfurt, Germany. He considers using the wrong cooking method for a sausage type to be the cook's fault.

Editor’s notes — the longer view

A note on the casing. Natural casings — sheep for Frankfurter/Weißwurst, hog for Bratwurst — are part of the recipe. Synthetic casings produce a different product.

A note on the Imbiss. The German stand-up food kiosk is the natural habitat of Currywurst. You stand, you eat, you leave.

A note on Weißwurst before noon. The tradition is historical — fresh Weißwurst without preservatives would not keep through the day. Modern is refrigerated and keeps fine. Eating it at 2 PM is not dangerous. It is just incorrect.

A note on the bun. Bratwurst in a Brötchen — the bun is too small for the sausage. This is intentional. The bun is a handle, not a vehicle.

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