Even though there are multiple websites containing recipes and techniques, there seems to be no exact blueprint on creating home-made brats. This post will remain true to that tradition.
For my first batch I used a mixture of 60% pork to 40% veal with an array of spices such as Cardamom, Marjoram, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, Paprika, salt & breadcrumbs. The process was straight forward, grind the meat together, mix in spices, grind it all again and stuff the casings. For this batch, I used artificial collagen casings...this was a mistake. Stuffing went well, but it does take two people. The brats looked good, a little weird, but good. However, as soon as they hit the boiling water, the collagen casings shrank and the meat shot out the ends. They still got consumed. Oh yeah, I also put good cheddar and jalapenos (from the garden) into the mix.
The second batch involved the exact same recipe except for two things: I used natural casings and I used all pork, no veal. The natural casings, which I purchased at a very local butcher shop, were so much easier to work with. And best of all, they didn't shrink when cooked. Much more like a bratwurst should look.
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