KuneKune Philly Bratwurst from Raising ’em Right Homestead, Hastings, Michigan
At Valor Provisions, we partner with American farms that can show you exactly how the animal was raised. Raising ’em Right Homestead in Hastings, Michigan is a first-generation family farm raising purebred KuneKune pigs on 30 acres of rolling pasture. This is their Philly Brat: a bratwurst seasoned like a Philly with onion and pepper worked into heritage KuneKune pork, four to the pack and built for the grill.
A Cheesesteak You Can Grill
Take the flavor of a Philly cheesesteak, onion, pepper and savory seasoning, and work it into a bratwurst made from purebred KuneKune pork. The breed is slow-growing and grazes rather than roots, and the Rausers feed a daily fermented ration of non-GMO barley, wheat, oats, alfalfa and beets, with no corn, which keeps the fat silky and faintly sweet. That fat is what keeps a brat juicy on a hot grill instead of drying out. Split it on a hoagie roll, pile on grilled onions and your cheese of choice, and you have a cheesesteak that took ten minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
Heritage KuneKune Pork – KPPA certified purebred herd, every pig with its own pedigree.
Pasture Raised and Rotationally Grazed – 30 acres of Michigan hills, managed to rebuild the soil, not strip it.
Non-GMO, Corn-Free Ration – Fermented barley, wheat, oats, alfalfa and beets.
Four Brats, One Pound – Tailgate, cookout or a weeknight hoagie; grill from thawed in 12 to 15 minutes.
Family Raised – Josh and Jessica Rauser and their four kids, first-generation farmers since 2020.
How to Cook It
Thaw overnight in the fridge. Grill over medium heat, turning every few minutes, 12 to 15 minutes to an internal temperature of 160°F; or sear in a skillet and finish with a splash of beer or water under a lid. Do not pierce the casing. Serve split on a toasted hoagie roll with grilled onions, peppers and provolone or whiz, or sliced over fries. Always cook sausage thoroughly before serving. 1 lb pack, 4 brats.
The Raising ’em Right Story
Josh and Jessica Rauser were city kids. In 2020 they moved their growing family out of Minneapolis and started over on seven wooded acres in central Michigan with a garden, a couple of goats and a few KuneKune pigs. They outgrew it fast and settled on 30 acres in Hastings, where they now run one of a small number of KPPA certified, AKKPS registered KuneKune farms in the country. They opened a store on the property so more than 30 neighboring families could sell what they grow and make. Every pack keeps a Michigan family farm, and the community around it, in business. That is the Valor mission on a plate.
