Pasture-Raised Sausage and Brats: What Goes In Them and How to Cook Them

A weekday breakfast gets about ten minutes, and sausage fits. The label tells you what your family is eating. REP Provisions makes breakfast sausage, maple links and smoked brats from pasture-raised heritage pork, and this guide covers what goes into each one and how to cook it.

Quick answer: REP Provisions Pasture-Raised Breakfast Sausage has four ingredients: pasture-raised pork, salt, spices and sugar. The Maple Sausage Links add maple sugar, and the Smoked Heritage Pork Brats add hickory smoke. All three are 100% corn and soy free and come from heritage pork. When a package does not say fully cooked, take the sausage to USDA's 160°F mark with a food thermometer.

Four Ingredients in the Breakfast Sausage

REP Provisions Pasture-Raised Breakfast Sausage carries the shortest label we make: pasture-raised pork, salt, spices and sugar [1]. We season it mildly so the pork tastes like pork, and it comes in one-pound packs that cook up as patties in a cast iron skillet [1]. The pigs are heritage Durocs and Berkshires that spend summers on pasture and winters in woodlot with hay [1]. The sausage is Nitrate Free and 100% corn and soy free, with no antibiotics, hormones or mRNA vaccines [1]. If you wonder why those breeds taste the way they do, our guide to Berkshire and Duroc pork has the answer.

Maple Links: Where the Sweetness Comes From

REP Provisions Maple Sausage Links bring a sweeter start to the morning. The label reads pasture-raised pork, water, maple sugar, salt, potato starch, spices, sugar, celery powder and cherry powder [2]. Maple sugar supplies the sweetness. Each package holds seven links and carries the same standards as the breakfast sausage [2]. Serve them with pancakes, and see our bacon guide for the cottage bacon that rounds out a brunch plate.

Smoked Brats for the Grill and the Skillet

REP Provisions Smoked Heritage Pork Brats are built for the tailgate and the backyard. Each package holds four quarter-pound brats, hickory smoked from pasture-raised heritage pork [3]. The label reads pasture-raised pork, water, salt, potato starch, spices, sugar, celery powder, paprika and cherry powder [3]. We call them perfect for grilling or pan-frying, and they carry the same corn and soy free standards as the rest of our pork [3].

Cooking Sausage to the Right Temperature

USDA says uncooked sausage made with ground pork should be cooked to 160°F, a rule that covers fresh patties and links and smoked sausages alike [4]. A thermometer in the thickest part settles it, whether REP Provisions patties go in a skillet or the brats go on the grill. Whole cuts of pork follow a different number, which our guide to how heritage pork cooks covers, and our internal temperature guide lists the beef numbers.

Thawing and Storing Sausage

Every REP Provisions order ships frozen. Thaw sausage in the refrigerator, as our thawing guide explains, and cook it within the 1 to 2 days USDA allows for raw sausage [4]. Cooked sausage keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 2 to 3 months in the freezer, and raw sausage keeps 1 to 2 months in the freezer [4]. Thaw only what the family will eat that day. Our freezer storage guide covers the rest of the lineup.

Key Takeaways

• REP Provisions breakfast sausage has four ingredients: pasture-raised pork, salt, spices and sugar, and it is Nitrate Free
• The maple links get their sweetness from maple sugar, and the brats are hickory smoked
• All three come from heritage pork and are 100% corn and soy free
• USDA sets 160°F as the target for uncooked sausage, so a food thermometer settles doneness
• Thaw in the refrigerator and cook within 1 to 2 days, and freeze raw sausage for 1 to 2 months

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use meats produced through regenerative farming practices?

Use them any time you would cook the conventional version. REP Provisions sausage fits a weekday breakfast, a weekend brunch with maple links, and a grill night with smoked brats.

What is in REP Provisions breakfast sausage?

REP Provisions Pasture-Raised Breakfast Sausage has four ingredients: pasture-raised pork, salt, spices and sugar. It comes from heritage pork and is 100% corn and soy free.

What temperature should pork sausage reach?

USDA says uncooked sausage made with pork should be cooked to 160°F. Check REP Provisions patties, links and brats with a food thermometer in the thickest part.

How long does sausage keep in the freezer?

USDA lists 1 to 2 months in the freezer for raw fresh sausage and 2 to 3 months for cooked sausage. REP Provisions ships its sausage frozen, so it arrives ready for the freezer.

Stock up from the Pasture-Raised Pork collection, or begin with the Breakfast Sausage, the Maple Sausage Links or the Smoked Heritage Pork Brats. Pick one, heat the skillet, and breakfast from REP Provisions is on the table.

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References

1. ↑ REP Provisions, Pasture-Raised Breakfast Sausage product page: repprovisions.com
2. ↑ REP Provisions, Pasture-Raised Maple Sausage Links product page: repprovisions.com
3. ↑ REP Provisions, Pasture-Raised Smoked Heritage Pork Brats product page: repprovisions.com
4. ↑ USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, "Sausages and Food Safety": fsis.usda.gov