The “knock” in knockwurst is derived from the Middle High German knacken, “to crack,” a reference to the crackling that this sausage makes when you bite into it. Wurst means sausage in German, so technically “knockwurst sausage” means “crack sausage sausage.”
These sausages are designed to work as finger foods, with thick casings which do not allow ingredients to escape, and a short, fat design which makes them easy to handle. Both beef and pork are used to produce knockwurst sausage, spiced with fresh garlic and sometimes with peppers and other ingredients to make it fiery in flavour. The food can be found in both fresh and lightly smoked versions; some people prefer smoked knockwurst sausage because it can have a more complex flavour. Traditional German accompaniments for knockwurst sausage include sauerkraut, potatoes, or bread.
Try this recipe for additional enjoyment.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 2 slices cooked bacon, cut up
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons coarse-grain brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons caraway seed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large rutabaga, peeled & cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 pound fully cooked knockwurst, bias-sliced into 2- to 2-1/2-inch pieces
- 2 medium cooking apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
- 1 16-ounce can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
Cooking:
- In a Dutch oven or large pot cook onion and bacon until onion is tender but not brown; drain fat.
- In a 2-cup glass measure combine the water, cornstarch, brown mustard, molasses, caraway seed, allspice, and pepper; stir into bacon mixture.
- Cook and stir util thickened and bubbly.
- Add rutabaga; cover and cook 15 minutes.
- Stir in the knockwurst, apple wedges, and sauerkraut.
- Cook, covered, 15 to 20 minutes more or until apples are tender.
# of servings: 6
Courtesy of global-recipes.com