What Is Thuringer Meat?

When it comes to things like meat and sausages, there are a lot of different meats out there to identify. Many of them have unique names and unique characteristics as well.

What you will find is that some people notice very little difference in the flavors or textures of the different kinds of meat. 

However, even though they may seem similar, they are actually all very different in their own way.

Thuringer meat is different from summer sausage just like it is different from bologna, and then don’t be confused by the fact that there is also a Thuringer meat shop that provides gourmet meats but we aren’t here to talk about them. 

What exactly is Thuringer meat? This meat is really a sausage and it is often compared to summer sausage or even a bratwurst in some forms but it is unique and made differently from either of these things. It is also still similar and comparable in some ways as well. 

In this guide, we will talk about what Thuringer meat is, discussing things like how it’s made, how it compares to other meats out there, and the flavors of the meat as well.

Thuringer meat is typically Thuringer sausage and we will talk about those details as well. It’s a really tasteful meat and you may have had it before and never even realized it. 

Thuringer Sausage

First things first, Thuringer meat is a sausage. It is purchased in a tubular form that comes packaged very similarly to summer sausage.

Thuringer sausage is a smoked German sausage. It is full of flavor and it is fresh. This sausage is usually made with pork but might be made with a combination of pork and beef.

Once the meat is chosen, they season it very lightly with an assortment of spices. Those spices include coriander and other spices. 

They do make this sausage in a North American version but it is classically the same as the German version, just made in America following similar practices.

The sausage is stuffed into a casing after it has been prepped and seasoned. Then it is smoked, dried, and cooked. By the time you get your hands on Thuringer sausage, it’s ready to serve and eat.

There is no cooking or prepping required. You simply slice it and enjoy it for what it is. 

Use Thuringer sausage as an appetizer, a snack, or even a meal. Some delis will even slice it and serve it in lunchmeat form so that could be another option too. 

How Is Thuringer Made? 

To make Thuringer sausage, manufacturers use ground meat and season it and then it goes through a smoking, drying, and cooking process before it finds its way to the store for us to buy.

Thuringer is originally a German sausage. It has also been referred to as a bratwurst and can be purchased and eaten as such as well. 

This is actually one of the oldest sausage types out there of German sausage and it has been traced back to the 15th century in the state of Thuringia, hence the name of the sausage.

It’s usually eaten plain, perhaps on a cracker or as part of a sandwich. You can even add cheese. Some Germans like to add mustard to it. 

Originally, Thuringer was always made with a pork and beef blend of ground meat.

Now, you might find it with just pork or still made with the blend as well. It is seasoned with pepper, garlic, coriander, and some other well-known spices out there. Here are some of the common spices used. 

• Marjoram
• Garlic
• Caraway seeds
• Pepper
• Salt
• Coriander
• Nutmeg
• Lemon zest

How yours is seasoned really will depend on the maker at the time but it may have some of these or all of these in it.

Thuringer tends to be on the spicy side. In Germany, it’s seasoned like this and then sold raw to be smoked or dried or used in other ways by the purchaser. 

Once it is seasoned and stuffed, the sausage is then smoked. After it is smoked, it is dried, and then it is cooked to finish it off.

There are different methods used for these processes. In Germany, they like to cook it on a wood fire grill and use bacon fat grease to prep the grill.

It can also just be cooked on any traditional grill. 

Grilling should be completed at a low temperature. The purpose of grilling is to add just a little bit of a darker crust to the sausage so it’s just lightly cooked.

Some people will also lightly glaze it with beer on the grill so that the inside can cook more but the outside cools a bit. 

While pork and beef were always the traditional meat used, in Germany the beef was actually veal which can make a difference in the flavor.

In the U.S., it has become popular to make it with primarily beef or beef with a mix of pork from the back. Regardless, the sausage is usually still made with lean meats. 

How To Use Thuringer Meat

You can really use Thuringer meat just about any way that you want to. Here are the primary ways it can be found prepared for your use. 

• Bratwurst
• Sausage roll
• Lunchmeat loaf

The sausage roll is the most common form of Thuringer meat that you will find. Often, you buy this ready-to-go and ready to use and no cooking is required.

You most likely will never have to worry about cooking your own Thuringer meat unless you are trying to make your own or purchasing it raw. 

The flavor really comes primarily from the cooking process so as long as it is cooked properly, you can do just about anything you need to with it. 

The most traditional way to serve Thuringer is with a side of potato salad. It’s not added to the potato salad or anything like that, it’s just served with the meat on one hand and the side of potato salad on the other.

You may or may not choose to garnish it with mustard but this is another popular way to eat it. 

A lot of people recommend eating it warm but you can cut it cold like you would summer sausage, as long as it has been cooked and prepped to be served that way. 

Thuringer Meat Vs. Summer Sausage

We’ve compared Thuringer meat to summer sausage several times here, mostly because it is a relatable comparison.

Since we compared it so much to summer sausage, it’s only fair that we do a true comparison so you understand how they are alike and how they are different. We will point out the differences as we go!

What Is Summer Sausage? 

Summer sausage was created to provide a way to preserve and use meat without having to worry about it spoiling.

Of course, the original idea was long before the concept of a refrigerator so they had to be creative and from that came summer sausage. 

Since that time, the world of summer sausage has grown and there are a ton of different kinds out there. Summer sausage is often compared to things like salami and bologna as well. 

Summer sausage, much like Thuringer meat, is made of beef, veal, pork, or a mixture of all. Summer sausage made of just beef is harder to find but it is out there.

The spices are a little bit different but also similar. Summer sausage is rarely made to be spicy, which is a difference between the two. 

Here are the most prominent spices used in summer sausage: 

• Mustard seeds
• Garlic 
• Black pepper
• Coriander
• Ginger

The beef that is used for summer sausage typically comes from beef chuck but it could also come from shoulder or butt cuts, particularly if pork is used. You can also make your own summer sausage with these meats if you want to. 

When you cook your own summer sausage, the process really isn’t much different than cooking Thuringer meat. It’s best to smoke it or cook it slowly on the grill. Some people even bake it in the oven to warm it. 

The key is to use a low temperature and then slowly increase the temperature until it finishes. You do not have to cook summer sausage unless you want to or unless you are making your own summer sausage.

When you purchase it in the casings already rolled, it’s been prepped and cooked for you. 

In this case, you can chill it and serve it just like it is. 

Thuringer Meat Taste

Thuringer meat has a very distinct taste that comes from the spices that are used in it before it is stuffed in the casing. It does taste a lot like summer sausage in comparison but it has a specific touch of spicy flavor that really sets it apart. 

This is what makes it such a popular option. That hint of spicy flavor paired with the traditional tangy flavor of sausage really sets it apart from its competitors, like summer sausage. It’s tangy and spicy all rolled into one! 

You saw earlier that Thuringer spices can vary slightly depending on where it is made but one of the most common spices is coriander.

That paired with the garlic, salt, and pepper really pull out the spicy notes of the meat as it is meant to enjoy. The cooking process also has a little something to do with that. 

Thuringer meat is almost always grilled and while you can serve it chilled or at room temperature, it is most popularly served warm. It is almost always accompanied by mustard and potato salad, and maybe even a cold beer. 

Related Questions

We hope that this guide to understanding Thuringer meat is a helpful resource for you. It’s a form of sausage that is very comparable to summer sausage, although they have slightly different flavors and are also served differently. 

Take a moment to check out these common questions and answers for some additional information that may be useful for you. 

How should you serve Thuringer sausage? 

The best way to serve it is to get it heated and slightly toasted on the grill, almost like you would a bratwurst.

Then you serve the sausage as it is with a side of potato salad and maybe a little bit of mustard if you need a condiment to complement the spicy, tangy flavors of the meat. 

Can you eat Thuringer cold? 

While it is most popular as a heated meat served with a side, it is not uncommon to be served as a sandwich loaf as well. In this case, you can serve it chilled or heated, whichever you prefer.

In fact, in some delis, you will find this as an option. In those cases, it is in a larger casing so it can be sliced to fit perfectly on a piece of bread. Don’t forget the mustard!

What kind of sausage is Thuringer? 

In North America, this sausage falls under the category of cervelat. This term simply means that it is a sausage with is smoked and semi-dry.

Summer sausage also falls into this category and the two are very similar in many ways but also different in their own ways too. 

What does Thuringer meat taste like? 

Think about the flavor of summer sausage and then add just a tad bit of spiciness to that flavor. It’s both tangy and spicy all rolled into one simple place. Thuringer is usually grilled and served warm. 

Up Next: 5 Best Small Bread Machines