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St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)
August 17,
2006
Section: Eat
Edition: St. Paul
Page: E1
BATTLE OF THE
BRATS
WISCONSIN MAKER WINS OUR TASTE TEST.
KATHIE JENKINS,
Restaurant Critic
Johnsonville sells the most
brats in America, and now we know why. In a taste test this week, it was
the favorite of 12 brands sampled. According to our nine tasters, the
brat had a "nice snap," "good texture" and a flavor
that was "not too spicy but not bland, either."
Whether it's the snap, aroma or flavor, the seasoned pork sausage
known as bratwurst is considered soul food in Wisconsin -- and revered
in Minnesota as well. There's barely a picnic, get-together or backyard
cookout that doesn't involve tossing a few brats on the grill.
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| But all brats are not
created equal. When we gathered to put 12 widely available brands of
brats to a blind taste test, we were surprised by the remarkable variety
of flavors, textures and even shapes among them. We tasted all of them
plain, looking for a juicy snap when we bit into the brat, a pork flavor
with a little spice and a texture that wasn't too chunky but not smooth
like a hot dog, either. Johnsonville brats matched those qualities,
winning by a landslide.
This did not surprise the folks at Johnsonville in Sheboygan, Wis.,
the brat capital of America.
"We've been making Johnsonville brats for 63 years, starting
with a family recipe, and we're completely focused on making the best
brats in the world," says Johnsonville marketing director Tom
Wolff, "I guess that's what does it."
Here are the results; now, fire up the grill:
| Rank |
Brand Name |
Store |
$ /
lb. |
Comments |
| 12th |
Cub Smokehouse |
Cub Foods |
$2.99 |
"Tasteless." "Blah." "Dry."
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| 11th |
Rainbow Homemade |
Roundy's Rainbow Foods |
$3.49 |
"Gross." "Doesn't taste fresh -- too many
preservatives?"
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| 10th |
Byerly's Gourmet |
Byerly's |
$3.99 |
"Too salty." "Weinerish." "Tastes like
Thanksgiving dressing."
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| 8th |
Kowalski's All Natural |
Kowalske's |
$4.29 |
"Salty." "Weird aftertaste." "Tastes like
chicken."
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| T-7th |
Tailgate
Bratwurst |
Cub Foods |
$2.50 |
"Sweet." "Clovey. "Greasy."
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| T-7th |
Stasny's
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Stasny's
|
$2.99 |
"Flavorful, but over processed." "Squishy."
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| 6th |
Klement's |
Widely
available |
$2.99 |
"Gristley." "Fatty." "Tastes like
venison."
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| 5th |
Roundy's
Fresh |
Roundy's Rainbow Foods |
$3.25 |
"Fresh and juicy." "Brats for people who don't like
brats."
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| 4th |
R.J. Meats |
R.J. Meats |
$3.69 |
"Good snap." "Real people-pleaser." "Herb
flavor."
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| 3rd |
Archer Farms |
Target |
$3.00 |
"Salty." "Nice flavor." "Safe."
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| 2nd |
Bill's
Own |
Hagberg's |
$2.99 |
"Good,
brat-like." "Slightly salty.
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| 1st |
Original |
Johnsonville |
$4.00 |
"Good pork flavor." "Nice moderate spices."
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1)Hank Friedrich, grill meister at Dunn Bros. in downtown St. Paul
cooks the brats for our taste test.
2)12 brands of brats on grill
Copyright 2006 Saint Paul Pioneer Press
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