The Bacon Beat / traditional

Cold cuts have an impressive history, dating back to around 500 B.C. when Ancient Romans and Etruscan populations found that salting and smoking meats, such as ham and prosciutto, helped to preserve them longer. However, we can thank the Earl of Sandwich for popularizing cold cuts as we know and love them today. Back in the eighteenth century, he famously asked for slices of bread to surround his meat so that he could continue his gambling game.

...but what came before all of that? How did a Bohemian like Doc Nolechek end up in Thorp, Wisconsin, and come to purchase the Locker plant, which 70 years later still exists as Nolechek’s Meats? Sit back my friends, and let me tell you a story...

Let’s take some time to address one of the age-old questions of our time…and no; it’s not, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” The question today is, “What is the difference between polish sausage and kielbasa?”

...did you know that Nolechek's specialty Wisconsin bratwurst comes in a wide variety of flavors? We have sixteen (16!) types of specialty bratwurst...and that’s not even including our Traditional Bratwurst, Chicken Bratwurst, or our signature Hickory Smoked Brats.

Here’s an introduction to the Sixteen Nolechek’s Specialty Bratwurst Varieties that we craft at our place in Thorp, Wisconsin:

There's a lot to love about slow-cooker cooking. If you play your culinary cards right, you can make an entire meal in one simmering pot. That means you can focus on curling up in front of the fire with a good book instead of spending hours in the kitchen. That also means that clean-up is a breeze. Here are three of our favorite simple slow-cooker dinner ideas:

For us, at Nolechek’s, the answer has become that shopping local is about relationships that are built with the businesses we patronize and receive supplies from. I appreciate doing business with people that take the extra time to chat or the ones that remember specifics. Even though businesses may not be able to source everything locally, somewhere, someone is making that product, slaughtering those animals, or transporting supplies. And those individuals are living in communities where they’re shopping locally and supporting their communities. So, we’re all part of a bigger (local) picture.

What's the difference between Polish Sausage and Kielbasa? The answer may surprise you...

...However you grill it, mix things up with a variety of sausage flavors from Nolechek's Meats. For a classic taste, choose from Unsmoked Polish Sausage with Garlic or Hickory Smoked Garlic Polish Sausage. If garlic isn't for you, serve up Nolechek's Plain Polish Sausage. And, for a perfect Wisconsin Polish Sausage bite, pick up some Garlic Polish Sausage with Sauerkraut.

Food is one of the strongest, most tangible connections to our past. For people of Czech descent, Jaternice - a traditional Bohemian sausage - can be traced back hundreds of years to their ancestral homeland. This hearty sausage utilizes the whole hog - including parts that are often discarded today - and is a testament to the frugality and practicality of the Czech people. Fortunately for us, Czech immigrants passed down their recipes through the generations, so that we can continue to enjoy this traditional Old World sausage today. 

For some, eating snout-to-tail may sound intimidating. On the contrary, using the whole animal is not only environmentally and economically responsible, it's also delicious! We craft our Jaternice with the highest quality barley, pork cuts, and pork skins. Seasoned with hints of marjoram, sage, onion, and garlic, Nolechek’s Jaternice is a simple and comforting specialty sausage. Squeeze the sausage out of its casing as a hash and top it with an egg for breakfast. Or spread it on crackers as a tasty snack. For a heartier meal, serve baked, broiled, or grilled Jaternice Sausages with sauerkraut, potatoes, and a crusty loaf of good bread on the side. 

Finding authentic, Old World sausages can be a challenge. That's why Nolechek's is committed to honoring our Bohemian heritage by crafting traditional products, including Jaternice, Kishka, and Swedish-Style Potato Sausage (OK, not Bohemian but amazing). These are some of our most unique and popular specialty sausage and we ship them across the United States. We also sell these sausages in our store right here in Thorpe, Wisconsin. We invite you to "czech" them out!

P.S. If you want to ask for Jaternice by name, it's pronounced 'ya-ter-neet-sa' - it's fun to say and even better to eat!

Enjoy!

- Nolechek’s Meats

 

Learn about how Nolechek's uses pure Wisconsin honey in their curing recipe and where that honey comes from: Danny Farms of Greenwood, Wisconsin. Hickory Smoked Honey-Cured Bacon is the best!

Lindsey (Nolechek) Fox talks about what her favorite meat products, to make, are and gives family background and history surrounding her fourth-generation family smokehouse, located in Thorp, Wisconsin.