A mildly spiced white sausage, weisswurst is a Bavarian delicacy. The blend of fine cuts of pork and veal is traditionally served for breakfast. It can be bought from specialty meat shops or served in German restaurants.
One of the most famous foods from Munich, traditional weisswurst is usually served in pairs of sausages. Lean cuts of veal and pork are accompanied by finely-ground mustard seed, parsley, onion powder, and white pepper. The white sausage is enclosed in a thin skin, which is not meant to be eaten.
Cooked in scalding hot water, the slightly sweet dish is normally served before noon. Typically, the only people who request the meal as a lunch or dinner dish are tourists. When served, the pairs of sausages are typically still in water, nestled in a covered pot to retain its warm, moist texture. The sausage can be served with other traditional German foods, such as soft bread pretzels, sweet apple mustard, and white wheat beer, or weissbeer.
To eat a weisswurst, simply cut it with a knife and fork like most other meat dishes. Locals often suck the meat from the skin at each end of the packaging. The sweet mustard served with the dish can be spread on top of the meat to enhance its flavor. Sliced onions may also be served atop the dish.
Since weisswurst is very tender, it should be cooked on low heat. To make sure that a weisswurst sausage is fresh, the parsley flecks beneath the nearly pure white skin can be checked. If these flakes are no longer a vibrant green and instead are a dull gray color, the sausage should not be eaten.
When purchasing weisswurst for cooking, chefs should keep in mind that four sausages can generally be made from one pound (half of one kilogram) of the meat. Other serving suggestions for weisswurst including pairing the meat with German red cabbage, mashed potatoes with gravy and mushrooms, or sauerkraut. It can be sweetened with the addition of brown sugar, cloves, and nutmeg when cooked. Onions, allspice, salt, and bay leaves are other popular seasonings when simmering this dish at home.
These German sausages can be added frozen to simmering water. Cover the sausages and keep them in the simmering water, removing them from heat as boiling bubbles begin to form. Steep the meat in the water for five to ten more minutes before serving.
