How to Make Beer Sausage

Sausage and beer go together like peas and carrots. Bierwurst is the name for German beer sausage. Believe it or not there is no beer in bierwurst. But once you've sliced a big fat piece, put it on a slice of rye with a little brown mustard and popped open an ice cold heffeweizen, you will discover just why this delectable concoction is called beer sausage.

Things You'll Need

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lb. lean beef
• 1/4 cup rum
• 3 1/2 lb. lean pork butts
• 1/2 lb. bacon
• 1 tsp. powdered dextrose
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch cardamom
• 1 tsp. whole mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 tsp. Prague powder #1
• Smoker
• Large sausage casings
• Fresh chili peppers (optional)

Instructions

1. Mince the garlic and add it to the rum. Let that steep for 5 hours.

2. Chop all of the beef and pork into 1-inch cubes, combine all of the other ingredients and pack tightly into containers a few inches high. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Grind the mixture through a 1/8-inch grinder plate. Stuff the whole mixture into a beef bung or large diameter casing. Allow to dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

4. Place the sausage in a preheated smoker at 130 degrees F with vents wide open for 45 minutes, or until the casing begins to turn brown.

5. Close the drafts to one-quarter open and increase the temperature to 160 degrees. Leave the sausage in the smoker until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 152 degrees F, and then place in the refrigerator overnight to cool before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• Try mixing in chopped, fresh chili peppers for a sausage that bites back.

• Pack the beer sausage mixture into the containers before refrigeration. Never allow air pockets to form. This will encourage the growth of bacteria.