The Klement Sausage Company is one of Milwaukee’s old time favorites, as well as one of my personal picks, when I am in an area where they distribute their great meat products. I like most everything they make, and when I lived in distance parts of the country, I’d reguraly order “care packages” from them.
At the market today, their Cocktail Sausages were on sale for nearly half the price of the other brands – $2.99 as opposed to $4.49 for Hillshire Farms and other manufacturers.
I haven’t tried this brand before, and I’m kind of a snob about cocktail weenies. Personally, I prefer to heat them to the crispy stage (they are smoked, and thus, pre-cooked), and I have, would, and will eschew them bobbing in barbecue sauce at any social gathering.
Why the elitism about little smokies? As with other experiences in my life, the ‘tude was passed down genetically, by my mother, who was Hormel loyal, through and through, because she was a native of Austin, Minnesota. Hormel Smokies (which used to come in a standard length) where often part of our weekend breakfast fare (that’s right, we ate breakfast together as a family on weekends, and it was a big production).
So I threw these pups in the skillet, set the phaser to stun, cooking them til crispy and with streaks of black, and sat down to eat a single serving (for me, the entire 14 oz package).
How were they? Good. I’d put them in the regular rotation, especially if they continued at this price. I have slight preference for the flavor of Hillshire Farms (yes, I broke away from Hormel when I crossed the threshold of the birth family’s residence for the lats time), though I can’t say why. As a total layman in the little smokie realm, I would opine that the Hillshire product have a little stronger flavor, which apparently I prefer.