# Bratwurst or zombie flesh? WTF is this going to taste like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759 "2014-05-05T23:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/1 "2014-05-05T23:05:06Z")
So on a whim I bought ‘Black Bear’ pre-cooked bratwurst. They sat and sat and I just noticed their expiry date is tomorrow. So with little planning or forethought, I’m making them for tonight’s dinner. Frying the shit out of them in a cast iron (with plenty of beer), serving them with egg noodles and saurkraut. I have no clear idea if that’s what I’m supposed to be doing with them, but that’s my best guess, and that’s pretty much the only semi-relevant ingredients I have on hand. Oh, and mustard. Shouldn’t I have mustard? I have several kinds in the pantry–golden, right? It’s Wisconsin night or something here. Feel free to ignore this thread except for election years. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/2 "2014-05-05T23:22:54Z")
They’re pre-cooked so I guess they’ll taste like the zombie flesh of Barney from Moe’s if you use enough beer. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/3 "2014-05-05T23:24:35Z")
You should be totally fine. And well satiated. There’s not too many yummier foods than sausages. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/4 "2014-05-05T23:30:11Z")
The bad news: we had no saurkraut. The good news: no zombie apocalypse. The very good news: FoieGrasIsEvil speaks wisely. Damn good. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/5 "2014-05-05T23:32:21Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > So on a whim I bought ‘Black Bear’ pre-cooked bratwurst. They sat and sat and I just noticed their expiry date is tomorrow. So with little planning or forethought, I’m making them for tonight’s dinner. Is that an expiration date for eating or selling? If just for selling, you might have rushed in vain. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/6 "2014-05-05T23:37:33Z")
You can do without sauerkraut as long as you have [red cabbage](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lcdhXQdMVX4/UMm_ajqNB1I/AAAAAAAACjc/jRUC_SEJK9E/s1600/Swedish+red+cabbage+(1).jpg). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/7 "2014-05-05T23:44:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Is that an expiration date for eating or selling? If just for selling, you might have rushed in vain. You never rush when it comes to eating brats, though I think cooking anything in beer gives suboptimal results. HOWEVER, a patient came in complaining of gastric distress. He told Wife that he found five pounds Italian sausage (Italian sausage is sold raw around here, for cooking at home) in the fridge that was significantly beyond its freshness date, so he cooked and ate it ALL “before it went bad.” Guys. :rolleyes: > [@silenus](#): > > You can do without sauerkraut as long as you have [red cabbage](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lcdhXQdMVX4/UMm_ajqNB1I/AAAAAAAACjc/jRUC_SEJK9E/s1600/Swedish+red+cabbage+(1).jpg). Or coleslaw. Or kimchee. There’s gotta be cabbage. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/8 "2014-05-06T00:06:31Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > HOWEVER, a patient came in complaining of gastric distress. He told Wife that he found five pounds Italian sausage (Italian sausage is sold raw around here, for cooking at home) in the fridge that was significantly beyond its freshness date, so he cooked and ate it ALL “before it went bad.” Guys. I can top that. Back when I was working, I had a group of four prisoners who came to me and all said they were sick to their stomach and wanted to go see the nurse. I was getting some information before I called the nurse and I asked them if they had eaten anything recently. They said they had been sharing a can of octopus. “Well, guys, if all four of you were eating that octopus and all four of you got sick, it sounds like you got a can of bad octopus.” “Oh, no, it couldn’t have been the octopus.” “Why not?” “We ate out of that same can yesterday and none of us got sick.” Did I mention that it was summer and we don’t have refrigerators? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/9 "2014-05-06T02:18:28Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Is that an expiration date for eating or selling? If just for selling, you might have rushed in vain. _I don’t want to wait in vain, for my brat…_ > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I can top that. > > Back when I was working, I had a group of four prisoners who came to me and all said they were sick to their stomach and wanted to go see the nurse. I was getting some information before I called the nurse and I asked them if they had eaten anything recently. They said they had been sharing a can of octopus. > > “Well, guys, if all four of you were eating that octopus and all four of you got sick, it sounds like you got a can of bad octopus.” > “Oh, no, it couldn’t have been the octopus.” > “Why not?” > “We ate out of that same can yesterday and none of us got sick.” > > Did I mention that it was summer and we don’t have refrigerators? Where in the world did prisoners get…canned octopus? In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever _seen_ canned octopus anywhere before. Was this in Asia somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/10 "2014-05-06T03:07:16Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Where in the world did prisoners get…canned octopus? In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever _seen_ canned octopus anywhere before. Was this in Asia somewhere? No, here in New York. [Octopus](http://www.mongoland.tv/foodpics/okcannedoctopus.jpg) [is a](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/5220122611_916c723efe_o.jpg) [relatively](http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/DSCN0331.jpg) [common](http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/DSCN0354.jpg) [Hispanic](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4SAQHDa-aOI/T3x6SGbP5xI/AAAAAAAAALM/GUvXqAIH4Tw/s320/Molineraoctobox.JPG) [food](https://daily.ebay.in/get.php/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1000x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/p/epicure_stuffed_octopus_in_garlic_sauce_156_gm1.jpg). We sell it in the commissary or they can buy it from venders. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bratwurst-or-zombie-flesh-wtf-is-this-going-to-taste-like/687759/11 "2014-05-06T04:51:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No, here in New York. [Octopus](http://www.mongoland.tv/foodpics/okcannedoctopus.jpg) [is a](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/5220122611_916c723efe_o.jpg) [relatively](http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/DSCN0331.jpg) [common](http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/DSCN0354.jpg) [Hispanic](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4SAQHDa-aOI/T3x6SGbP5xI/AAAAAAAAALM/GUvXqAIH4Tw/s320/Molineraoctobox.JPG) [food](https://daily.ebay.in/get.php/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1000x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/p/epicure_stuffed_octopus_in_garlic_sauce_156_gm1.jpg). We sell it in the commissary or they can buy it from venders. Huh. Learn a new thing every day. Thanks!