Appetizers

Wisconsin Brat Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground chicken (dark meat)
• 1½ cups fine dried dark rye bread crumbs (if you can’t find, buy a loaf of bread and run some slices through the food processor)
• 1 cup + 3 tbsp Silver Spring Beer’n Brat Mustard
• 2 cups light beer (we used Leinenkugel’s Canoe Paddler, Leinie’s Honey Weiss works well also)
• ½ cup minced onion
• ¼ cup squeezed dry and chopped sauerkraut
• butter or cooking spray

• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp mace
• 1 tsp caraway seed
• ½ tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Combine: pork, chicken, 3 tbsp mustard, onion, sauerkraut, and seasoning mix in a well chilled bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed until ingredients are mixed well. Increase speed to medium and mix for 20 seconds.

Portion mean in 2 tbsp portions and roll into balls.

Place brat balls on a lightly greased sheet tray and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes.

Combine the remaining 1 cup mustard and 2 cups of beer, mix well. Remove 1 cup (half the volume) of the mustard and beer mixture and set aside for dipping sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove brat balls from refrigerator and dip each ball into remaining 1 cup mustard and beer mixture to coat. Roll brat balls in rye bread crumbs and return to the sheet pan.

Bake breaded brat balls for 30 minutes or until fully cooked, 165 degrees.

Serve with the mustard-beer dipping sauce.

Makes 16.