How Is Kasseler Made?

Kasseler is made from cured and briefly hot-smoked pork. The meat used usually comes from the pork loin, pork chops or the neck of the pig. Less commonly, pork belly and pork shoulder are processed into Kasseler.

In order to salt the meat, i.e. to salt it, it is either placed in brine or the brine is injected directly into the meat of the pig. This so-called “spray curing” is considered the gentler of the two manufacturing processes, as it does not dry out the meat. After the curing process, the pork is smoked for a few hours.

The classic Kasseler recipes include hearty stews and Kasseler with kale or turnips. By smoking the Kassler is already pre-cooked and only needs a short cooking time during preparation. Of course, Kassler is not the only option. We have summarized for you what smoking meat does, how you can use the gas grill and which woods exude which aromas.