By Stacy Downs
McClatchy Newspapers | Posted: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 12:00 am
It's best to limit the guest list to 20 or fewer so you can exchange sausage critiques
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - There are definitely German sausages worth sampling beyond brats, so host a tasting party to honor Oktoberfest. Here's how to get started:
Set the date. Oktoberfest traditionally starts the third weekend in September and ends the first Sunday in October. Because it's called Oktoberfest, the whole month is fair game.
Invite guests. For a party at home, there's no way to re-create Oktoberfest in Munich, where visitors pack roller coasters and beer-hall waitresses carry half a dozen full, mammoth steins with one hand.
The annual gathering celebrates the wedding festivities of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810.
The German public liked the party so much they decided to loosely re-create it each year, and now it attracts millions.
For your tasting party, however, it's best to limit the guest list to 20 or fewer so you can seriously talk sausage.
Sausage. Some people get squeamish about sausage because they think it's made of random, leftover parts squeezed together. But high-quality sausage is made from shoulder meat, says Dave Miller, owner of Werner's Fine Sausages in Mission, Mo., which makes its own sausages.
Have at least six varieties of sausage for guests to try. It's fun to include mostly German sausages, plus a few from other countries for contrast and comparison, such as spicy andouille.
Many markets sell numerous varieties made from chicken and lamb mixed with interesting ingredients such as olives and feta cheese.
Be sure to have enough sausages for guests to try two sizable chunks of each. Links can be cut into five or six pieces. Have a few extra uncut sausages for still-hungry guests.
Accompaniments. Offer coarse-grain mustard for the sausage.
Traditional Oktoberfest side dishes include big soft pretzels, red cabbage and potato salad made with vinegar, oil, parsley and bacon bits.
Beer. Oktoberfest just wouldn't be right without steins of beer. Liquor stores carry Oktoberfest-style beer made by craft brewers nationwide.
Mood. Set up a long table for guests called a Stammtisch, a German regulars' conversation table. The dining room might be too formal for a Stammtisch, so try to take the table outside if the weather cooperates, or at least put it in the kitchen or family room for a casual, friendly atmosphere.
Don't forget Bavarian oom-pah music. You can buy compilation Oktoberfest compact discs or individual songs online for your own mix.
Sausage sampler
Compare notes on the appearance, aroma, flavors and textures of each sausage. Most important: Do you like it?
Each of these sausages, except when indicated, has been smoked. All the cooking they require is to be grilled or browned to taste.
German bratwurst: The pork-and-veal sausage is white, unlike the American version.
Knockwurst: A pork-and-beef sausage flavored with garlic.
Bier-and-cheddar brat: The pork sausage tastes smoky from the beer and cheese.
Weisswurst: A veal sausage flavored with lemon and parsley.
Nuremburger bratwurst: A pork sausage flavored with nutmeg.
Wisconsin-style bratwurst: This pork sausage is raw, so it needs to be simmered in beer with onions, then browned or grilled to taste.