In his dream job, Johnsonville’s corporate chef seeks new flavors
When Ralph Stayer opened a butcher shop in 1945 in Johnsonville, Wisconsin, he became known for his bratwurst recipe. That was the beginning of Johnsonville, now an internationally known company making more than 75 varieties of sausage in more than 50 countries.
Most are still made right in Sheboygan Falls, the town that encompasses Johnsonville.
Growing up in the area, Cole Hansen was familiar with the sausage and the company. His dad worked for Johnsonville. As a kid, he wanted to grow up to be a chef and work at Johnsonville.
That’s exactly what he grew up to do. Since 2009, Hansen has worked at Johnsonville, and today holds the role of corporate chef.
Developing and testing recipes is just part of his daily routine, and his favorite product right now is the four flavors of Sausage Strips. Currently only available in the Midwest, the sausage strips will be launched nationally at Walmart and Kroger in early summer.
Hansen talked recently about his path from childhood dream to corporate chef, his tips for preparing the best bratwurst, and what you’ll find if you make the drive to visit the Johnsonville Marketplace, N6877 Rio Road, Sheboygan Falls.
Question: What is your background? How did you decide to get into the culinary field?
Answer: I went to Madison Area Technical College for culinary. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a chef when I grew up, and my dad worked at Johnsonville. So I also wanted to work at Johnsonville. Here I am, and I always joke that I got the best of both worlds.
I worked in a couple restaurants in the Madison area, and from the restaurant industry, I went into being a meat cutter. After that I, came to Johnsonville in 2009. I grew up in Plymouth. Lots of great learning opportunities here. I started third-shift formulation. My goal was to get into the corporate R&D (recipe and development) chef role I am in now.
Q: Bratwurst was Johnsonville’s first product. Where does that stand in your lineup today?
A: That is still the No. 1 seller. It is always near and dear. I grill mine. I go traditional style, with sauerkraut, mustard and the Sheboygan hard roll toasted on the grill. I use the Giddy Up Johnsonville mustard. I love the horseradish flavor.
Q: Is there a wrong way to eat or prepare a sausage?
A: You don’t want to undercook, and you don’t want to pierce that casing. Just go low and slow. You’ll hear the brat whistle and you’ll know it is done. You need to get the internal temperature to 165 degrees for the bratwurst.
Q: What are some things that you noticed customers seeking out this year?
A: We’re coming out with a how-to video series. During the pandemic especially, we saw a big increase in people searching "how to cook sausage indoors," "how to cook sausage in the microwave." We used that information to create instructional videos (available on YouTube).
Q: Do you have a current favorite of the new products?
A: I really like the sausage strips we just launched. We have four different flavors: chorizo, original, maple and spicy. They’re interchangeable with any bacon.
Q: What are some new things people can look forward to?
A: We just launched some ground (sausage) flavors. I love all the flavors, especially the taco. It is pre-seasoned; you just have to cook it in a skillet. … Our salt and pepper is a great recipe starter. I use that in an egg roll bowl or meatloaf, and we have a great cheesy pimiento sausage dip recipe on our website.
Q: Tell me about some of the unique flavors you create.
A: Irish O Garlic — that’s a great bratwurst for St. Patrick’s Day. We have a great recipe for bangers and mash on our site. There’s a firecracker bratwurst which is spicier, and another favorite is queso pepper jack. In the fall, we have the tailgate beer and cheddar brat.
Q: Last fall, we saw the opening of Johnsonville Marketplace, a retail space across from corporate headquarters. What do people need to know if they’re going to make the drive?
A: It is the only place in the United States where you can buy every type of sausage product we make in the U.S. When you go to a grocery store, they may have only a couple styles.
Sausage is fun. We’re the official sponsor of the Cornhole League, and we have things you can buy related to that. Being a tailgating brand, we have items made by Potosi Brewing.
Q: Johnsonville came out with its own grill last year, a tabletop option just for sausage. Do you need special equipment to prepare sausage?
A: That’s a convenience thing, especially if it is winter. If someone is disabled or can’t get outside and they want fresh sausage, they can use that inside on the countertop. It just plugs in. The Sizzling Sausage Plus has interchangeable plates so you can do the bratwurst, the patties and the breakfast sausage with it.
The plates pop out and you can put it in the dishwasher. I like using that as I am preparing other parts of my recipe. I can put the sausage in and forget about it. I hit the button and go do the rest of my recipe. The sausage will be done perfectly on both sides.
Q: Restaurant vs. research chef — what should people consider if they are thinking about this field for a career?
The Research Chefs Association, that’s a great group I’m a part of. If you have a question, you can reach out. There are other organizations to learn about, like IFT, Institute of Food Technologists. It is all about meeting different chefs and talking with them.
Table Chat features interviews with Wisconsinites, or Wisconsin natives, who work in restaurants or support the restaurant industry; or visiting chefs. To suggest individuals to profile, email psullivan@gannett.com.