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If you love eating sausages at breakfast, you'll love the weisswurst, the white sausage specialty of Bavaria. Since weisswurst are made without preservatives or nitrates, you'll need to cook them soon after buying them. You can prepare them in the traditional way by simmering the links in salted water. If you'd like to give the weisswurst a smoky flavor, you can cook them on the grill and baste them with beer. For a complete meal, pan-fry the weisswurst and cook them with sliced onions, sauerkraut, and apples.

Ingredients

  • Weisswurst links
  • Water
  • Salt

Serving size varies

  • 1 pound (453 g) weisswurst sausage
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 onions
  • 3 cups (450 g) well-drained sauerkraut
  • 2 cups (473 ml) beer
  • 2 granny smith apples
  • Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings

  • Weisswurst links
  • Bavarian or wheat beer

Serving size varies

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Bavarian-Style Simmered Weisswurst

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Set a pot on the stove and fill it at least half full with water. Add several generous pinches of salt and turn the heat to high. Heat the water until it comes to a boil. [1]
    • The pot should be at least 2-quarts (1.89 liters) in size.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Turn the heat down to low and slowly lower as many weisswurst links as you want into the water. The water should be bubbling gently. [2]
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  3. Keep the lid off of the pot and simmer the sausages until they're completely warmed throughout. This should take 10 minutes. [3]
    • Although many people don't like to poke the sausages, you can insert a meat thermometer to check the temperature. The weisswurst should reach 170 °F (77 °C).
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Turn off the heat and scoop the cooked sausages to a large serving bowl. Spoon some of the salted water from the pot into the bowl with the sausages. Let guests help themselves to the weisswurst and serve it with sweet mustard, a large pretzel, and a Bavarian beer. [4]
    • You can slit and peel off the casings from the weisswurst. Or to eat them traditionally, trim off the end of the weisswurst and suck the sausage out of the casing.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Pan-Fried Weisswurst with Beer

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil into a large, heavy skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Place 1 pound (453 g) of weisswurst in a single layer in the skillet. Sauté and turn the sausages frequently until they're golden brown on the outside. This should take 2 to 4 minutes. [5]
    • Use a skillet that's at least 12-inches (30 cm) in diameter.
    • Avoid over cooking the weisswurst since they'll finish cooking in the oven.
    • Make sure not to overcrowd the pan while searing, which will lead to uneven browning. Instead, do 2 or 3 sausages at a time in batches if need be; then, add them all back to the pan when they're done searing to complete the cooking process.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Peel 2 onions and use a sharp knife to slice them thinly . Get out 3 cups (450 g) of sauerkraut and place it in a fine mesh strainer over a sink. Press against the sauerkraut so the liquid drains out of the sauerkraut. [6]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Carefully drain and discard any of the hot grease in the skillet. The sausages should still be in a single layer in the skillet. Spread the sliced onions and drained sauerkraut evenly over the weisswurst. Pour 2 cups (473 ml) of beer over the mixture. [7]
    • You can use any wheat or Bavarian-style beer.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Put a lid on the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Let the weisswurst, onions, and sauerkraut cook until the sausages are cooked throughout and the onions soften. This should take 15 to 20 minutes. [8]
    • If you don't have a lid for your skillet, consider laying a baking sheet down over the skillet.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Use an apple corer to remove the cores from 2 granny smith apples. Slice the apples into 1-cm thick slices and add them to the skillet with the sausages. You should also sprinkle the dish with freshly ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. [9]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Put the lid back on the skillet and cook the mixture over medium heat until the apples soften a little. This should take 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve the cooked weisswurst, onions, sauerkraut, and apples while they're hot. [10]
    • You can store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Grilled Weisswurst

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  1. Ask the butcher if the weisswurst you're buying needs to be fully cooked or just reheated. If you're buying packaged weisswurst, read the cooking instructions to determine if you should fully cook the sausages. [11]
  2. Since many packaged weisswurst are precooked, you can simply toss them onto a medium-heat grill. Cover the grill and cook the weisswurst until they're completely hot throughout. Turn the weisswurst occasionally and grill them for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the hot weisswurst. [12]
    • Avoid poking the weisswurst casing with a fork, knife or tongs to prevent the flavorful liquid inside the sausage from leaking.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-heat. Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil, so the sausages don't stick to the grill. Place the weisswurst on the grill over indirect heat. Cover the grill and let the weisswurst cook until they reach 140 °F (60 °C). Frequently turn the sausages and spray them with a little water or beer, so they brown evenly and don't split. [13]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Weisswurst
    Remove the cooked weisswurst from the grill and transfer them to a serving plate. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the sausages and let them rest for 5 minutes. They'll finish cooking and then you can serve the hot weisswurst. [14]
    • You can store leftover grilled weisswurst in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
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      Things You'll Need

      Classic Bavarian Weisswurst

      • 2-quart (1.89 liters) sized pot with lid
      • Serving bowl
      • Ladle
      • Meat thermometer, optional

      Grilled Weisswurst

      • Gas or charcoal grill
      • Tongs
      • Serving plate
      • Aluminum foil
      • Meat thermometer, optional
      • Spritzer

      Pan-Fried Weisswurst with Beer

      • Measuring cups and spoons
      • Digital scale
      • Knife and cutting board
      • Fine mesh strainer
      • Spoon
      • Heavy skillet at least 12-inches (30 cm) in diameter with a lid
      • Apple corer

      About This Article

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Sandra Ward

        Oct 1, 2020

        "Absolutely delicious! Surprised my entire family how good it was! We pan fried weisswursts with bratwursts, served ..." more
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