“Pinkel”  is a traditional Northern German sausage eaten in parts of Lower Saxony and Bremen. It is made from bacon, and some other animal bits, but also has plant-based ingredients like onions and grains. It is eaten during winter and served with kale and potatoes. People adore this dish so much, they organize and join an event which is called a “Kohlfahrt” (kale tour). This tour includes two attractions: lots of meat and lots of alcohol. [I wrote a bit about how we Northern Germans can be crazy about our kale here.]

[Sorry for the crappy picture. It was dark and rainy.]

As an omni kid, I used to love “Pinkel”.  I was fascinated by the fact that the sausage contained grains. I guess that was the first sign for me to become a vegetarian one day.

I don’t really miss “Pinkel”. I don’t ever miss meat. But I have thought about a vegan “Pinkel” recipe for a while now. I thought that the idea of putting grains into a plant-based sausage was not too bad. And I wanted something special to serve with my kale. Last weekend I came up with a recipe for this traditional sausage, a seitan based log with fried onions and cooked cracked grains.

This probably doesn’t taste like “Pinkel” at all. It is more like “Mettwurst“. [I haven't eaten meat for 20 years, I probably have no idea what I'm talking about here.] A “Mettwurst” is a chewy, smoky sausage, reminiscent of salami. [If you leave out the grains, this recipe will probably make a delicious salami] It is served with kale, but often found in soups, too. It is also the sausage you will find next to sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Okay, now. Enough of all this meaty talk. You can use this for any dish that calls for a smokey sausage, but it is great on its own too, between a slice of crusty bread. I used half a log for a spit pea soup, which came out with the most amazing smokey taste. Seriously, this is my favourite sausage.

I used cracked smoked spelt berries and tofu bits fried in liquid smoke to achieve a smoky flavour. The dough is a bit crumbly, but the sausage will firm up nicely when baked.

Vegan “Pinkel” or “Mettwurst” (makes 2 logs)

For the grains:

50 g (1/4 cup) cracked “Grünkern” (smoked spelt, use other cracked grains like wheat, oats, or barley instead)
1 cup vegetable broth
Cook over medium heat until the grains are soft and most of the broth is absorbed. The consistency should be similar to oatmeal. Let cool.

For the “meaty” ingredients:

1 red onion, chopped into very fine dice (yield: 3/4 cup)
50 g finely crumbled tofu (1/3 cup)
2 t vegetable oil of choice
2 t liquid smoke

Over medium to high heat, fry the onions in 1 t of vegetable oil, for about five minutes. They should be slightly brown. Add the second t of oil and tofu. Stir in liquid smoke. Cook for 2 more minutes until all tofu bits are coated with liquid smoke. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and prepare the sausage:

Additional ingredients for the sausage:

144 g (1 cup) gluten powder (vital wheat gluten flour)
120 ml (1/2 cup) water
1/4 t freshly ground allspice
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t salt

10 g (1/8 cup, packed) freshly chopped parsley
2 t soy sauce

In a bowl combine gluten powder, allspice, black pepper, and salt. Add water, onion-tofu mixture, cooked grains, parsley, and soy sauce. Knead for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be elastic and firm with bits of grains or onion falling out here and there. Don’t worry about that.

Prepare two pieces of aluminium foil. Divide dough into two pieces and place on foil. Roll the dough up to get 2 logs which are approximately 17 cm (6 1/2 inch) long and  4 cm (1 3/4 inch) wide. Transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool completely before unwrapping them. Use immediately or store in an airtight container. We fried the sausage, and served it with salt potatoes and kale cooked with margarine, red onions, and cracked smoked spelt.