How to Eat Like a Packer Backer

Nothing stops a Green Bay Packer fan from having a good time. By 8 a.m. on game day, the cooking begins outside the stadium, even in freezing temperatures.

This party spirit stays with Packer fans even when they move to Southern California. I should know; my brother-in-law, Pete Wenner, and my oldest friend’s husband, Jim Hasenberg, are die-hard “cheeseheads.”

Bratwurst and cheese pie are how Pete reconnects with his roots on game days. The cheese pie recipe comes from Pete’s mom, Betty Wenner. There is no crust. “It makes its own crust,” Betty says.

Although brat preparations differ from family to family, they all seem to include beer. Pete says the best way to eat the brat is in a brat bun with onions and sauerkraut.

And how does a Packer fan heat sauerkraut? “Just open the can and put it on the grill,” Pete says.

Another brat rule from Pete: “You can use a little mustard but never, ever put catsup on a brat.”

Pete admits that getting true brat buns in Southern California isn’t easy. He advises using a French-style sourdough roll, which is closer to a brat bun than a spongy hot dog bun. And although brats are sold locally in supermarkets and sausage shops, Pete often orders his from Usinger’s in Milwaukee.

A call to Pete’s friend Sandy Phillips, Green Bay resident, member of a family that has held Packer season tickets for 30 years and supplier of the recipe for pork with barbecue sauce, revealed a brat disagreement, however. She says the best golden brats anywhere are sold at Buddha’s in Green Bay. “Isn’t that right, Mike?” she says to her husband from the phone. No disagreement is heard on the other end of the line. The only problem: Buddha’s Sausage Shop doesn’t do mail order; someone in Green Bay has to send them to you. Don’t call Sandy.

To mail-order Usinger’s traditional pork-and-veal brats or Milwaukee-style all-pork brats, call (414) 276-9100. Sold in 6-pound cartons (25 to 30 brats per carton). $25.75 fresh, $26.50 cooked. Shipping $15.70 for second-day delivery.

Menu

Grilled Brats-and-Onion Sandwiches

Pork Sandwiches With Barbecue Sauce

German Potato Salad

Cheese Pie

STAPLES

Ground allspice

Almond extract

Brown sugar

Cayenne pepper

Celery seed

Cinnamon

Ground cloves

Eggs

Flour

Onions

Potatoes

Salt

Sugar

Vanilla extract

Vinegar

SHOPPING LIST

1 (1/2-pound) package bacon

3 (12-ounce) cans beer

12 bratwurst

1 bunch celery

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

2 ounces nuts

1 (1 1/2-pound) pork shoulder

1 (32-ounce) jar sauerkraut

1/2 pint sour cream

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

GAME PLAN

Night before: Boil pork and refrigerate.

2 hours before: Prepare cheese pie.

1 hour 15 minutes before: Simmer boiled pork with barbecue sauce.

1 hour before: Heat grill. Prepare potato salad. Parboil bratwurst.

20 minutes before: Grill bratwurst. Heat sauerkraut.

10 minutes before: Set out rolls, potato salad, pork, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and pie.

PETE WENNER’S GRILLED BRATS-AND-ONION SANDWICHES

2 white onions, sliced

12 bratwurst

3 (12-ounce) cans of beer

1 (32-ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

12 sourdough rolls or brat buns

Bring onions, bratwurst and beer to boil in large saucepan, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Remove bratwurst and set aside. Continue cooking onions and beer until liquid is absorbed.

Grill bratwurst on charcoal or gas grill, turning until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Heat sauerkraut just until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with onions and sauerkraut on sourdough roll.

Makes 12 sandwiches.

Each sandwich contains about:

340 calories; 1054 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.99 gram fiber.

UNCLE CARL’S GERMAN POTATO SALAD

8 to 10 boiling potatoes, peeled

10 strips bacon

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup diced celery

Green Bay resident and Packer fan Sandy Phillips contributed this recipe, which came from her Uncle Carl. It’s far from low-fat.

Place potatoes with cold water to cover in large stockpot and boil, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and slice potatoes and set aside in large bowl.

Cook bacon in skillet until brown on both sides; drain on paper towels and crumble. Set aside.

Stir flour into bacon grease and cook slowly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and add hot water and vinegar, mixing well. Return to low heat and cook, stirring until thickened. Add sugar, salt and celery seed.

Sprinkle egg, onion, celery and bacon over potatoes. Toss with dressing until well-coated. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

310 calories; 1119 mg sodium; 124 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.37 gram fiber.

SANDY PHILLIPS’ PORK SANDWICHES WITH BARBECUE SAUCE

1 (1 1/2-pound) pork shoulder

1 1/2 cups juice from boiled pork

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup vinegar

6 sourdough rolls

Place pork in stock pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove pork, let cool, chop and refrigerate. Pour cooking juices into bowl and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, remove fat from cooking juices. Combine 1 1/2 cups juices, pork, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cayenne pepper, tomato sauce, brown sugar and vinegar in saucepan. Simmer for 1 hour.

Slice rolls in half and fill with pork mixture.

Makes 2 1/2 cups pork, 6 sandwiches.

Each sandwich contains about:

334 calories; 615 mg sodium; 57 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 0.40 gram fiber.

BETTY WENNER’S CHEESE PIE

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

3 eggs

2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Beat cheese, eggs, 2/3 cup sugar and almond extract until creamy. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Remove and let cool, 20 minutes.

Mix together sour cream, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Pour over cheesecake and return cake to oven for 10 minutes.

Cool and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 8 servings contains about:

421 calories; 208 mg sodium; 155 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.08 gram fiber.