Tom & Jerry
You may know it by another name: cannibal sandwich. It features freshly ground raw beef and raw onions between slices of rye bread. It’s a popular item at Wisconsin family tables during the holidays, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Ray’s Butcher Shoppe, 4640 W. Loomis Road in Milwaukee, sells 1,000 pounds of raw beef for cannibal sandwiches on Christmas Eve and between 600 and 700 pounds of it on New Year’s Eve.
Ray’s Co-owner and manager Perry Podd brings in a friend who grinds meat on those days because freshness counts with a raw beef sandwich.
“We want 100% lean beef, super fresh, no injections, no chemicals in it,” Podd said. “We let people season their own. Usually they’ll get the onion and the salt and pepper and a nice beer.”
It’s not a famous cartoon duo, it’s a cocktail that predates the famous cat and mouse by about 100 years. There’s a lot to love about a hot holiday drink made with eggs, butter, sugar, fresh spices, hot water and rum.
John Dye, owner of Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge at 1579 S. 9th St. in Milwaukee, thinks it’s the cold that makes Wisconsinites love warm cocktails.
“We have a room that’s dedicated to Tom & Jerrys,” Dye said. “It’s upstairs, there’s a dedicated bartender. They’re really messy to make, that’s our solution to it.”
The room is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the holidays. Customers can get a special ticket to go upstairs to get their drink. This year, Bryant’s is serving the cocktail in specialty mugs that customers can buy for $16 with a drink included (the mug alone is $12, the drink alone is $10).
Stollen
It’s a fruitcake without the negative connotations. It’s German. Of course it’s popular in a state filled with German descendants.
Unlike its oft-maligned (somewhat unfairly IMHO) English cousin, this holiday treat has a yeast dough with all the seasonal spices — cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and so forth — but with a fewer nuts and dried fruit.
Cherries and pineapple are a given, though raisins and currants aren’t uncommon.
The kicker is the generous coating of powdered sugar. Well, that and rum in some versions.
Kringle
Danish bakers brought kringle to Racine in the 1800s, and we haven’t forgotten. In fact, in 2013, kringle was named the official pastry of Wisconsin. The ringed pastry is filled with nut paste or fruit, and it’s a common site at holiday brunches (or office gatherings, if you’re lucky).
Racine Kringle amps up its kringle production during the holidays. It makes 10,000 kringle a day this time of year to meet demand, vs. 6,500 kringle a day normally.
Pickled herring
If you’re going to a grandparent’s house for a holiday gathering, the odds double of pickled herring being part of the spread.
It’s difficult to believe that the same Old World country that brought us the kringle also delivered pickled herring. Though, to be fair, Danes enjoy this pickled fish while pickling their livers with an extra stiff drink of 80-proof akvavit. There’s probably a lesson to be learned there.
Closer to home, Ma Baensch (1025 E. Locust St. in Milwaukee) has had no problems finding takers for its pickled herring since 1932.
Lefse
Lefse is a Norwegian version of a tortilla, except it’s made with potatoes, flour and salt (and whatever else Grandma’s recipe calls for). It’s typically smothered with butter, cinnamon and sugar or smeared with lingonberry jam. Serve it with a side of lutefisk (dried white fish) for an authentic Scandinavian treat.
It’s a popular Christmas tradition in Norwegian towns. Countryside Lefse in Blair makes them by hand if you don’t have the time (or the skill) to do it yourself.
Tamales
Tamales are a typical Christmas Eve meal in Hispanic families, so in communities with large Latino populations in Wisconsin, you’ll find hot tamales around the holidays (and not the candy).
Tamales are a Mexican version of a dumpling: it’s a salsa- or meat-filled dough that’s wrapped in a corn husk.
Jann Cipriano West, who owns Get Them While They’re Hot Tamales food truck and catering, said, “It would be difficult to prepare tamales prior to Christmas. The Harvest for the corn is in October and November. It takes time to process the corn, gathering the harvest, removing the husks and drying the kernels, by December the corn is ready.”
Venison sausage and hot sticks
Someone fought off frostbite and a severe case of boredom while balancing on a tiny seat 20 feet up in a
tree to bring venison to the holiday party. While you may not want to stomach the details of the journey from forest to platter, keep in mind that this food is about as local and clean label as you will find at any potluck.
Pro tip: Use a venison hot stick to stir your bloody Mary and call it a double Sconnie.
Cheese balls
No, there isn’t a state law requiring cheese balls at holiday parties in Wisconsin. Yet.
Cheese balls are Kaukauna Cheese’s biggest seller, 7 million annually, says brand manager Matt Barlow, with more than half sold during the holiday season.
If you’re in an extra festive DIY mood, try making a cheese ball wreath.
Cocktail weenies
There’s nothing overtly Wisconsin about cocktail weenies, unless Klement’s cocktail smokies are involved, but short of boycotting all holiday gatherings, there’s no way to avoid being tempted this season by the scent of tiny smoked sausages simmering in barbecue sauce.
The most likely culprits for perpetuating this tradition are that it’s inexpensive, simple, involves meat and sugar (grape jelly), easy and cheap. It’s also budget friendly. Plus, it doesn’t cost all that much.
Furthermore, it is foolproof enough that even if your culinary experience mostly involves putting frozen foods in a microwave oven, you can bring it to the office party and go home with an empty slow cooker.