Links to the Past & Present

The “he” in this situation is Jesse Brookstein—a local landjäger enthusiast (and part-time distributor) who literally wrote the book on landjäger—and we’ve got five different varieties in front of us at Working Draft Brewery. We’ve been snipping off small bits with a pair of kitchen shears, and I sample the pfefferjäger from Bavaria Sausage—it’s spicy, tangy, salty and has a mild heat that sneaks up on you (“They use a blend of Brazilian peppers,” Brookstein says). I’m entranced by the complexity of its flavors, but before we can even talk about the other types on display, a woman at the next table pipes up.

“Is that sausage?” she calls out. When I tell her we are sampling landjäger, she gasps. “I love landjäger!” As her group gets up for another beer, Brookstein strikes up a conversation with a guy from her table who, as it turns out, also knows the Ruefs—one of the families that used to run a meat shop that made landjäger.

Landjäger is a type of sausage that’s been cured, fermented, smoked and dried. It’s typically made with a blend of beef and pork along with a mix of spices that could include caraway, coriander, black pepper, allspice, celery seed, garlic, cumin and nutmeg that all gets stuffed into a casing and molded into a rectangular shape. Most landjäger comes in a pair strung together by a bit of casing that’s been twisted, which is then usually hung over a wooden dowel in decorative displays that look like Alpine chalets. And here’s the kicker—landjäger is shelf-stable, which means it can be left out for up to two weeks without spoiling (or if refrigerated in a sealed package, up to a year).

The curing process helps stabilize the water activity in the sausage while the fermentation (usually from a lactic acid starter culture) lowers the pH until it’s slightly acidic. Finally, the smoking process kills off any remaining harmful bacteria. In pre-refrigeration times, these steps were important for preserving meat: Landjäger would typically be taken on trips to the forest by hunters or game wardens (landjäger literally translates to “land hunter” in English). These days, however, its complicated production is more about developing unique and complex flavors.

While charcuterie has had a very chef-focused revival in the last decade, Brookstein thinks Wisconsin’s history of local meat shops and love of grilling sausages has kept traditional styles like landjäger and summer sausage popular and approachable. “When I was living in Denver, a charcuterie board was this expensive menu item you’d get at a fancy restaurant. Here in Wisconsin, if we have people over to our house I always have a board of summer sausage and cheese laid out with a few landjäger pairs hanging nearby.”

To get more perspective on the role of a local meat shop in Wisconsin, I reached out to Meat People, a butchery owned by Pip Freeman and Jenny Griep on Madison’s east side. “I would say our regular customers are a mix of folks who like that we are an old-fashioned meat market that does custom cuts, like to only eat pastured meats and know we do that very thing exclusively, and lastly, gourmet eater types who like how good our food is,” says Freeman. While they would love to produce their own landjäger, they’re currently unable to use a smoker in their space. Instead, they make a variety of other cured meats, like pepperoni, salami and summer sausage.

“We choose what cuts are going to be best used for curing, which for us is the things that don’t really sell as whole muscle cuts in case. Pork jowls and bellies, for example," shares Freeman. "We then weigh them carefully and use salt and some version of curing salt along with any flavoring spices and herbs depending on the item. If we’re making summer sausage or pepperoni there is another step, which is fermentation for a couple of days before cooking.” Meat People currently curates a wide selection of cured meats from quality producers to allow our customers to make a full charcuterie board while they get health and safety plans approved for more recipes. “We always try to find producers that have similar ethics to us with regard to animal welfare and land stewardship," says Freeman.

One of the producers they carry is Driftless Provisions, a sausage maker in the Driftless region who makes their own version of landjäger along with a variety of other traditional salami styles. Building on Brookstein’s local meat market theory, co-founder Ryan Wagner says, “I believe Wisconsin's history of sausage-making had a tremendous impact on me and my vision for Driftless Provisions. I grew up across the street from Newton Meats, just south of Manitowoc, and was good friends with the owner's children.”

Driftless Provisions makes all their salami in a traditional way: first the meat is mixed with spices and a starter culture, then it’s added to a casing and allowed to ferment. Finally, it’s dried between four to eight weeks depending on the thickness of the sausage. “We never cook the product,” says Wagner. “That is certainly unique.” For their version of landjäger, there’s a fifth step: cold smoking. Wagner was inspired by his childhood visits to the local deer camp with his father, where the ringleader was a former butcher and would bring along summer sausage that he made with venison. Driftless Provisions’ landjäger is made with a blend of bison and pork, and while it might not be the most traditional version, Wagner says it’s the closest thing to the sausages he used to eat at the hunting camp: “The earthy notes and smokiness harken back to my memories as a child eating the classic German-style sausages but done in an Italian way (fermentation and drying).” And while Driftless Provisions was inspired by classic Wisconsin hunting traditions and the state’s old school meat markets, you can find all different types of their salami (including spicy finnochiona, soppressata, and saucisson sec) in grocery stores and cheese shops as well.

For Brookstein, however, landjäger is king. “It’s like tasting a time capsule of the last 50 years. Every recipe has history to it, and no two are the same.” We both order a second beer, and I taste through the remaining landjäger from Zuber’s, Bavaria Sausages and Bucky’s Varsity Meats, and he’s right. Each one has its own unique tang, smoke and spice blend. And then there’s aging. “Don’t be afraid to let it breathe,” Brookstein says about letting your landjäger hang out before indulging. Most landjäger hanging in a display has already had time to age, but if it’s from a vacuumsealed pack, Brookstein suggests letting it sit for three days to allow it to dry out more: “That’s where you get that nice snap.”

Lately he’s started a small-scale distribution business, delivering landjäger from a local meat shop to bars, breweries and restaurants around the area. What blew him away, however, is that the high-end cocktail bar Robin Room sold as much landjäger as the Wisconsin rec-room themed Muskellounge. “Do you think it’s being reclaimed by people with fancy tastes?” I ask. “I think it’s just tradition,” Brookstein answers. “I have 90-year-olds come up to me and say ‘I used to eat this up at the cabin with my family in the summer,’ and I have teens tell me that their grandparents used to buy it for them. Like I said before, it just has a way of bringing people together.”

The Perfect Pairing

We reached out to local cheese shop Fromagination for the best cheese pairings to go with landjäger and other regional charcuterie. Cheesemonger and Front of House Manager Ian Kozaczek was happy to pick out four of his favorites for an accompanying cheeseboard.

Hook's 5 Year Cheddar

“A classic Wisconsin sharp Cheddar made by Tony and July Hook. Its flavor notes are slightly savory, salty, sharp with a little sweetness on the end. The cheese itself is firm and slightly crumbly, perfect for any cheese board. It pairs well with meats due to its sharpness cutting through the fattiness. It also amplifies the savory notes, and is the youngest of their cheddars.”

Canela by Roth

“A manchego style cow’s milk cheese made in Monroe. It has more fatty and earthy flavors with a little bit of cinnamon bite from the cinnamon and paprika they use to color the rind. It pairs perfectly with a slice of landjäger placed on top due to its firm mouthfeel. Manchego is traditionally made with sheep's milk but this one uses cow’s milk which gives it a little less nutty and more savory quality.”

Lake Effect by Blakesville

“A soft-ripened goat's milk cheese made in a brie style. It’s very rich for a goat's milk cheese and has only a slight tang from the acidity. The creaminess of the cheese along with the unique goat flavor makes for a more adventurous bite when paired with meats. The flavors will be a little more "farmy" and when paired with a nice bubbly wine it is perfect for a picnic or any outdoor gathering.”

Anabasque from Landmark Creamery

“A Basque-style sheep's milk cheese with a more bouncy texture. Nutty with a unique honey-like finish to it. Sheep's milk is very high in fat so there is a velvety texture to the mouthfeel. The sweetness and richness make it a perfect dessert cheese to pair with spicier meats for a crowd-pleasing flavor combination."