Bratwurst
Burnout Pickle Brats
Nashville Hot Pickle Bratwurst
Burnout Pickle Brats is a bratwurst built on a 50% lean meat / 50% pork blend, using lean wild game, lean beef or pork butt. Finish at an internal 160°F (71°C), stuff into 32-35 mm all natural hog casings, grind at 1/4". Exact amounts scale to any batch weight in the DeepWoodz Smokehouse app for iPhone and Android.
Nashville heat and dill pickle in the same casing sounds wrong until you eat one — the acid from the pickle cuts the cayenne and keeps the whole thing from being a slog. Drain the pickles properly or the mix goes wet on you. This is the brat that starts an argument and then disappears.
- Internal temp
- 160°F (71°C)
- Casing size
- 32-35 mm
- Casing
- All Natural Hog Casings
What goes in it
- Kosher Salt
- Cayenne Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Mustard Powder
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Dill Weed
- Dill Pickles (drained, diced)
- High-Temp Pepper Jack (1/4" cubes)
- Hot Sauce (e.g. Frank's)
- Ice Cold Water
- White Pepper
- Ground Nutmeg
- Mace
Amounts are calculated for your batch weight in the app — including the cure, which is held at a fixed, food-safe rate.
The meat
Lean Wild Game · Lean Beef · Pork Butt · Pork Shoulder
Bear or wild hog: take it to 160°F and hold 3 minutes. Freezing, smoking and curing do not kill trichinella — only heat does.
How it's made
- Grind meat and fat through a 1/4" plate. Keep everything ice cold — partially frozen meat grinds best.
- Mix all dry seasonings together in a small bowl.
- Add seasoning mix, hot sauce, and ice water to ground meat. Mix by hand until the batter is sticky and tacky — you want good protein extraction for a solid bind.
- Drain diced pickles thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Fold in pickles and high-temp pepper jack cubes by hand. Mix just enough to distribute evenly — over-mixing smears the cheese.
- Stuff into natural hog casings (32-35mm). Twist or tie into 6" links.
- Refrigerate overnight uncovered to let flavors meld and casings dry slightly — this gives a better snap on the grill.
- Vacuum seal and freeze for storage, or grill over medium heat, turning frequently, until internal temp hits 160°F. Don't puncture the casings — keeps the melted pepper jack inside.
Wood
Hickory · Cherry · Pecan
Safety
- 100% Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder works great on its own — it has the right lean-to-fat ratio naturally.
- Keep meat very cold during grinding and mixing
- Do not overwork the meat or it will become tough
- Cook to 160°F internal temperature
- Drain pickles thoroughly before adding — excess brine throws off the moisture balance.
Before you start
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