In Wisconsin Taste Test, two Milwaukee Record folks share their thoughts on two new-to-them “Wisconsin-y” food or drink items. Think raw beef sandwiches, Old-Fashioneds, and those giant bags of generic candy they sell at Fleet Farm. This week: Red Hot Pickled Eggs and Mild Polish Sausage from Bay View Packing Company. (A version of this article originally appeared on our Patreon.)
Red Hot Pickled Eggs
Tyler Maas: I’ve always been something of a pickled egg apologist. When I first tried one many years ago either on a dare or as a form of “punishment” from someone who bought me one (I forget exactly how it happened), I was in the “not as bad as they sound” camp. Eventually, that tolerance turned into legitimate enjoyment. And Bay View Packing Company is far and away the type I’ve had the most in my life. You’ll sometimes see the original and the Red Hot varieties behind the pine at a bunch of local bars and on shelves of select retailers—including Blain’s Farm & Fleet, where I procured this six-egg jar for $4.49 before tax.
Matt Wild: I, on the other hand, am a pickled egg newbie. I don’t think I’ve had one…ever? I know, I know: How can I call myself a true Wisconsinite if I’ve never sat at a bar, gazed up at a jar of pickled eggs from 1997, and said, “Give me one of those”? The closest I’ve come to ingesting “bar eggs” (as I like to call them) was last summer when I was up north and in a bar called Grudgeville (I LOVE Grudgeville) and they were selling duck eggs for $5 a dozen. My brothers and I bought a dozen and fried them over the campfire the next morning. They were good! Not pickled, but “bar eggs” nonetheless!
Tyler: Though I actually like pickled eggs, I can absolutely understand why people don’t. For one, eggs in general are polarizing. Also, I know vinegar isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, the biggest hurdle I imagine folks needing to clear in order to derive any sense of satisfaction from pickled eggs is the texture. The egg itself is a tad hard and a little on the rubbery side. Meanwhile, the yolk is bone dry. And the Red Hot type is actually a little bit spicy, which I know many can’t handle. That combination is surely a bridge too far for some people. Thankfully, I am not one of those people.
Matt: You covered a lot of my notes on these particular pickled eggs: gummy on the outside, dry on the inside, strong with the vinegar. And the whole “red hot” thing is no joke! I mean, there’s a chili pepper in there! These Bay View Packing Company eggs pack a punch! I could only eat half of one before taking a water break.
Tyler: Like so many other products, the eggs have gotten noticeably smaller in recent years and the price has gone up a little. Still, Bay View Packing Company’s Red Hot Pickled Eggs are a relatively affordable, low-calorie, high-protein snack that can be stored at room temperature. Grab one to eat on its own, garnish your bloody mary with it, or chop it up to have on a cracker or something. It’s hard to go wrong with a pickled egg, and Milwaukee should be proud to be home to one of the oldest, most successful, and all-around best pickled egg purveyors out there.
Tyler Rating: Oh, Ya! (Good)
Matt Rating: Yeah, Sure. (Okay)
Mild Polish Sausage
Tyler: Though Bay View Packing Company is best known for its pickled eggs and pickled herring, it also has quite a wide variety of other pickled protein products in its arsenal. In addition to pickled meats like bologna bites, pork hocks, and cubed ham, the business—which is located in the Menomonee Valley and NOT in Bay View, by the way—has both a mild and a Red Hot version of smoked, pickled Polish sausage.
Matt: Now we’re talking. I’m down for any and all smoked sausages in convenient stick form. I love hot sticks made from the deer “harvested” by my dad and brothers every fall (I haven’t “harvested” one myself in a decade). I love the beef sticks you can buy in crappy gas stations. I’ve been known to snap into a Slim Jim. I love ’em, love ’em, love ’em. I can’t say I’ve had any pickled sausage sticks, however, but I’m willing to broaden my horizons.
Tyler: I’d never seen nor sampled the pickled polish sausage before, so I grabbed an 8-ounce jar of the mild variety from Blain’s for a pre-tax price of $6.99. To be honest, the light pink brine and colorless collection of mustard seeds at the bottom of the jar didn’t initially scream “eat me!” Be warned: the smell of vinegar also instantly made its presence known when I opened the jar. All of that being said, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed these little guys.
Matt: Same. The pickling process may eliminate the “snap” you get from a fresh stick, but these fun-sized sausages are awfully good. They’re WAY better than the gas station variety. I didn’t mind the brine much; in fact, it was kind of fun spearing these pickled devils with a fork and then shaking off that brine. A little sausage dance!
Tyler: Unlike the pickled eggs, the halved sausage links are tender and juicy. I went in expecting a variant of a beef stick, but wound up leaving with an impression more akin to a hot dog…that was pickled. The serving size appears to be two pieces, which clocks in at a mere 100 calories and a scant six grams of fat. While the sodium level is pretty high, it’s very low in carbs and offers a respectable amount of protein. Again, I could see this being plopped into a bloody mary. I could also imagine it being eaten on your way out the door or taken as a way of limiting stops on a long road trip—provided you and your companions are cool with the smell. I’d be curious to try the Red Hot Polish next time I’m at Blain’s. I bet I’d like it.
Matt: Definite road trip potential here. Also definite “I could eat a whole jar and not think twice about it” potential for me. The egg was okay, but the pickled Polish is a winner. “The firmest, best tasting pickled sausage on the market,” proclaims Bay View Packing Company. I don’t know how crowded the pickled sausage market actually is (readers?), but BVPC ain’t lying. Good stuff!
Tyler Rating: Oh, Ya! (Good)
Matt Rating: Oh, Ya! (Good)
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