Hi guys, looking for recommendations on a locker in the south metro to take some deer meat into and get some brats made. Our regular locker is awesome for sticks, summer sausage and ground but don’t like their brats ( too crunchy of casings) we are looking for fresh brats not already smoked or cooked. Don’t want snap or crunchy casings… Looking more for like a Johnsonville brat casing if you will. Thanks!!
Home Town meats in Inver Grove makes brats. We just had them for the first time last night. However my friend way over cooked them. They were still very tasty so we can’t wait to make them ourselves at home. They make fresh or smoked brats. We got fresh cheddar brats. They go light on the spices so good fresh clean meat flavor. I’ll report back once we cook them properly but I’m certain they’re going to be excellent.
Thanks for the info, please let me know after you make them yourself. Appreciate it.
Thanks for the info, please let me know after you make them yourself. Appreciate it.
Made them tonight and can’t really advocate them. They tasted like decent venison burger with no discernable spices identifying them as brats. Dry too. I probably should pass that along to the butcher.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>chubs1018 wrote:</div>
Thanks for the info, please let me know after you make them yourself. Appreciate it.Made them tonight and can’t really advocate them. They tasted like decent venison burger with no discernable spices identifying them as brats. Dry too. I probably should pass that along to the butcher.
Sorry to hear that. Brats need lots of fennel and some fat to make them brats!
Thanks for the update. I wonder if von hansens make good deer brats?
Von Hanson’s regular brats are really good. I know it’s not south metro, but center cut meats in Rogers makes good deer brats.
Make sure you confirm if the butcher shop will indeed make YOUR batch or if they are mixing venison batches together (what most do). This is one of the main reasons I started making my own stuff 20+ years ago and now for many friends/family. You don’t know how other guys deer were shot and taken care of, what temperatures they were stored at for how long, or what they throw in ‘grind’. You might not want to know. I always tell guys when they are trimming meat for sausage if you wouldn’t fry that in a pan right now and eat it then why the hell are you throwing it in sausage grind?
I always tell guys when they are trimming meat for sausage if you wouldn’t fry that in a pan right now and eat it then why the hell are you throwing it in sausage grind?
I agree completely. Must be good meat.
I’ve never brought meat in prior to Jan 1 for the same reason, and i strongly questioned each shop that i want my meat and mine only.
Eventually unhappy with the prices, so i also make my own. Didn’t realize how much better they would be on top of price!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Alagnak Pete wrote:</div>
I always tell guys when they are trimming meat for sausage if you wouldn’t fry that in a pan right now and eat it then why the hell are you throwing it in sausage grind?I agree completely. Must be good meat.
I’ve never brought meat in prior to Jan 1 for the same reason, and i strongly questioned each shop that i want my meat and mine only.
Eventually unhappy with the prices, so i also make my own. Didn’t realize how much better they would be on top of price!
Yup, its worth the initial investment to make your own. after a couple of years you are money ahead.
I believe what you are looking for is a collagen casing (what Johnsville uses) instead of natural casing that most places and people use. You will probably need to do some calling around to see what places use them, or can use them. I’m not a fan of Von Hanson’s, their end product is fine, but they are a big corporate meat market, and your meat will not be processed by the shop you drop it off at. It will be shipped to the main processing location and shipped back, hopefully it’s all yours, plus they are very expensive.
I had a whole hog processed by Lonsdale Meat Market, and everything was very good. Otherwise Pekarna Meats in Jordan and Hackenmueller’s in St. Boni are good too, but I’ve never had venison done at either. Any of these are probably not too far of a drive from the South Metro. I personally drive to Pierz and have Thielen’s do it, as they are the best imo. Otherwise there are a lot of good options in Central MN, if you don’t mind a little drive or have a quantity that would make the trip worthwhile.
Yup, its worth the initial investment to make your own. after a couple of years you are money ahead.
I broke even year 1 and was a lot of money ahead year 2.
3 Deer/Yr processing
I’m not a fan of Von Hanson’s, their end product is fine, but they are a big corporate meat market, and your meat will not be processed by the shop you drop it off at. It will be shipped to the main processing location and shipped back, hopefully it’s all yours, plus they are very expensive.
Several years ago we shot 2 deer on different weekends. One I dropped off at Von Hanson’s the second I dropped off at McDonald’s in Clear Lake. Had essentially the same things made from each deer to get a “taste” of their product and needless to say I have not gone back to Von Hanson’s. Price was twice what McDonald’s was, got less end product and they didnt seem to incorporate any beef or pork or at least not enough so the brats, etc tasted horrible while McDonald’s was absolutely fantastic.
I have had mine done at Bonngard’s in Cottage Grove the last couple years, they have turned out really good. I have done Jalapeno/cheddar and bacon/cheddar. This year, they turned them around in 2 weeks.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
I’m not a fan of Von Hanson’s, their end product is fine, but they are a big corporate meat market, and your meat will not be processed by the shop you drop it off at. It will be shipped to the main processing location and shipped back, hopefully it’s all yours, plus they are very expensive.Several years ago we shot 2 deer on different weekends. One I dropped off at Von Hanson’s the second I dropped off at McDonald’s in Clear Lake. Had essentially the same things made from each deer to get a “taste” of their product and needless to say I have not gone back to Von Hanson’s. Price was twice what McDonald’s was, got less end product and they didnt seem to incorporate any beef or pork or at least not enough so the brats, etc tasted horrible while McDonald’s was absolutely fantastic.
Yeah, I had a bad experience there having them smoke some tullibee’s, it would have been cheaper to buy some Waygu beef than to have them brine and smoke a few fish. And the teenager working at drop off quoted me a totally wrong price and they did nothing to make it right.
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