Meaty Girl: German Sausage Company's Landjager

Landjager is a traditional, dried German sausage made in Southern Germany and Switzerland. Though the name literally means "country hunters," there's nothing gamey about the taste of landjager. It's a popular snack food in Germany and Switzerland (like beef jerky for the U.S.), and also a popular meal for soldiers because it requires no refrigeration -- landjager can be eaten cold, right off the deli rack, or taken home and cooked (to reduce fat, cut holes in the sausage casing before boiling). Landjager usually comes in pairs of fat, flat sausages -- like Slim Jims on steroids, but with a heartier, meatier taste.



German Sausage Company's Landjager
Equal parts beef, pork, and lard, the landjager sausage is very chewy. It's got the same inner texture as summer sausage, and tastes like a blend of summer sausage and salami, but much headier and much, much smokier. These links taste like they were just pulled off the smoker a couple of seconds ago. Unlike some other landjagers, which can be too sweet or too salty (depending on how they're seasoned), the German Sausage Company's landjager is the perfect balance of beef and spice. The rich, smoky flavor and beefy taste work beautifully alongside a dark German beer. -- Niki D'Andrea