Knackwurst (Knockwurst)
This recipe creates a plump, smoky sausage using a 60/40 blend of veal or venison and pork shoulder seasoned with warm spices. Grind and emulsify the meat, stuff it into casings, and smoke the links until rosy. Serve with sauerkraut, mustard, or slice into stews.
Ingredients
- 3 lb venison or lean veal, diced
- 2 lb fatty pork shoulder, diced
- 3 tbsp kosher salt (about 40 grams)
- 1 tsp pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1)
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp ground mace
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup non fat milk powder (or buttermilk powder)
- 1 cup ice cold water
- Natural hog casings (32-35 mm, rinsed and soaked)
Instructions
- Prep: Chill equipment, soak casings and combine the diced meats with all dry seasonings and milk powder. Refrigerate until cold.
- Grind and Mix: Grind the seasoned meat through a fine die into a cold bowl. Mix in the ice‑cold water until the paste is smooth and tacky, then fry a small patty to taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Stuff and Dry: Stuff the paste into soaked casings and twist into 4‑ to 6‑inch links. Dry the links on a rack or hang them in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Smoke and Shock: Smoke at 180 °F until the internal temperature reaches 150 °F. Then submerge the sausages in ice water for about 2 minutes to stop the cooking. Pat dry.
- Serve: Reheat gently and serve with mustard, sauerkraut, potatoes, and crusty bread. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 7 days or freeze for longer storage
NOTES
- Keep everything cold. Chill the meat, pork, grinder parts, bowl, and stuffer before you start. Cold meat and fat give knackwurst its smooth texture rather than a smeared, greasy one.
- Use the right fat ratio. Stick close to a 60/40 mix of lean meat to fatty pork. If you want a richer sausage, replace about 1/2 pound of the pork shoulder with pork back fat.
- Mix until tacky. After grinding, drizzle in the ice-cold water and mix until the sausage paste feels sticky, smooth, and holds together. Stop before it starts to warm up.
- Cook a test patty. Fry a small piece before stuffing the whole batch so you can adjust the seasoning while it is still easy to fix.
- Dry the links first. Let the stuffed sausages dry on a rack or in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before smoking. This helps form the tacky surface that lets smoke cling better.
- Smoke them gently. Smoke at 180 F until the links hit 150 F internal, then shock them in ice water for about 2 minutes to stop the cooking and tighten the casing.
- Poach if needed. If you do not have a smoker, poach the sausages in gently simmering water for about 15 minutes. Do not boil them or the casings can split.
- Reheat and store gently. Warm the sausages gently before serving. Refrigerate leftovers for about 7 days and freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 93g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 310mg | Sodium: 5006mg | Potassium: 1732mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1229IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 348mg | Iron: 11mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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