Outside Dining
It’s Summer of 2021 and we’re here for it! Though we’ve gotten creative in our al fresco dining experiences in the last year, the warm weather allows for outdoor dining experiences that feel a bit more “normal.” Backyards and pools are getting ready for some outside celebrations and we at Charcutnuvo are too. We want to help you have the healthiest, most delicious summer moments with your friends and families as we celebrate being together! Whether you’re sleeping under the stars or hitting the park volleyball tournament, we hope our organic and natural sausages will be on your menu.Summer Fun
As we head into the warmer months, let’s consider some of our familiar Summer activities that are back in business.Camping
Sleeping under the stars. Feeling the fresh air on our faces. Nothing says Summer like spending a few nights out of doors. The campfire is a huge part of the camping experience. Stories, laughing, and of course cooking!! Whether you bring your own portagrill or go old school with hotdogs on sticks, Charcutnuvo matches the natural environment with all natural ingredients. If you’re looking for a fun recipe to bring to the fire pit, try our Sheet pan Jalapeno Cheddar Brats + Veggies. You can use a sheet pan or bring out the foil for an easy clean-up option. As you sit back and relax from a day of hiking or rafting you’ll get your veggies and your organic bratwurst with the added gritty flavor of the campfire. A crowd pleaser that’s both delicious and easy, hungry tummies will go to bed full after this hearty, flavorful meal.Brunch
Summer isn’t all about the soot of the campsite, sometimes you need a weekend spread that is perfect for brunch on the patio. Get out the linens, cut some flowers from the garden, and invite your friends over for weekend brunch! Every brunch menu needs some protein. Why not surprise your guests with the Chicken Italian Frittta? Made with Charcutnuvo’s Organic Chicken Italian Sausage, this egg frittata has roasted bell peppers, baby spinach, and feta to make an elegant menu centerpiece. Add some sliced fruit and a muffin selection and your brunch will not only present beautifully, it will be full of lean, organic protein. You can feel confident your guests will go home satisfied (and maybe even a little impressed) by your brunch spread. Celebrations The summer months offer many annual markers to celebrate. Father’s Day, Fourth of July, and Back to School events all pair beautifully with healthy, delicious sausages. Often days when we gather crowds of people we love, we can make sure we offer our guests the best selection of quality meats. Charcutnuvo has a sausage for every palette, so rotate a few through your summer meal plans and make sure you aren’t missing out on one of our tasty, organic sausage options. On Father’s Day the men in your life might appreciate a unique game sausage like the Smoked Pork and Bison Bratwurst made with grass fed bison. For Fourth of July, you can’t go wrong with the classic uncured frank found in our traditional Wieners. But who are we kidding? If a quality sausage is the perfect celebration food, isn’t a quality sausage wrapped in bacon that much better?! Try our Uncured Mini Franks Wrapped in Bacon if you want to put together a party spread people will remember. A Paleo-friendly crowd pleaser that is perfect for the buffet table. They’ll be so popular, the only issue will be if you’ll make enough.Picnics
Nothing says summer like the red and white checked table cloth, some lemonade, and a picnic table. A casual way to get everyone to meet up at the park and let the kids play or the dogs run for the frisbee, picnic food will certainly be a draw. The lovely thing about a picnic is that you can go uber casual or a bit gourmet. Regardless of your picnic vibe, incorporating Charcutnuvo’s natural meats into your menu will add flavor, texture, and protein without any added preservatives or antibiotics. It wouldn’t be fair to you if we didn’t recommend our signature potato salad recipe to your picnic menu must-do list. A twist on the classic picnic staple, the Potato Salad with Smoked Uncured BBQ Sausage + Pederson’s Bacon combines our Smoked Bacon Brat with BBQ Sauce with bacon from our friends over at Pederson’s Farms. With green onions, chives, dijon mustard, and baby potatoes, this falls into the foodie arena without requiring any special cooking skills. Serve it cold or at room temperature for a potato salad with solid protein.Grilling
The weeknight staple to the summer meal plan, grilling keeps the heat outside so the cook can be part of the gathering. Fortunately all of our organic and natural sausages do great on the grill and make for an easy meal. Whether it’s the traditional hot dog in a bun or a gourmet sausage with some spice, there is something in Charcutnuvo’s selection for everyone. For an easy take on a classic, stock up on our Bratwurst With Pork and Veal and offer a condiment bar with all of the fixings. Ketchup, mustard, relish of course. But also grilled onions, fresh onions, jalapeños, and cheese. Nothing’s off limits when it comes to what can be added to our brats. What matters is that the grill master has enough sausage to feed the crowd. He or she must be ready to offer seconds because one person’s unique topping selection will inspire another to try a new tasty combination.A Great Summer Sampler
No matter the outdoor activity, we at the Charcutnuvo family wish your family lots of healthy gatherings this summer. We know being outside is safe and healthy and our natural and organic sausages are the safe and healthy protein option for your crew. Our CEO Eric, has picked out his favorite combination of Charcutnuvo products for a sampler package you won’t want to miss. Aptly named Eric’s Favorite Set, the bundle has six delicious sausages to get you familiar with Charcutnuvo’s wide range of options. For only $55 the sampler includes: Organic Breakfast Links Bratwurst With Pork and Veal Smoked Pork and Bison Jalapeño Cheddar Brats Organic Chicken Italian Sausage Smoked Pork and Bison Bratwurst Wild Boar Sausage Consider Eric’s Favorite Set as our insider suggestions on where to start. Once you find a product you like, you try others in the same family.Let’s Get Cooking!
Now that we’ve given you our best recipes for your outdoor get togethers, you can pick a date (maybe even tonight), gather your people (5 or 50, it doesn’t matter), and decide what your activity will be. Regardless of the setting, we know al fresco dining with hormone free, antibiotic free meats will add flavor to your fun without sacrificing your health. We’d love to see how you are using Charcutnuvo products to celebrate your summer. Tag us in your photos @charcut.nuvo and use the hashtag #charcutnuvo so we can get inspired for some new recipes. Here’s to good food, good friends, and being together. May this be a summer when we recognize how fortunate we are for health and the food on our plates reflects this value of healthy living.The Difference Between Natural and Organic
We’ve all been there, standing in the grocery aisle, reading a product label not sure what the terms actually mean. We want to find the healthiest ingredients, but are confused by the labels. We think, “All natural” sounds good. ‘Organic’ is never bad, right?” But what do these standards mean as far as quality of meat? And how are they different from each other? Is one better than another? Charcutnuvo knows organic sausage and natural sausage well and can help the discerning shopper understand what quality meat product is right for every family. We’ll take away some of the mystery of these terms so you can plan your purchases and menus and eat quality, antibiotic and hormone-free sausage!
The Basics
Let’s cover the terms. For starters, natural and organic are not the same. In general, “organic” has to do with the process with which the product is grown, produced or handled. Whereas “natural”, as defined by the USDA, has a little to do with how animals are raised, but a lot to do with what has or hasn’t been added to the product during processing.
Natural - The main requirement for “natural foods” is that they are “minimally processed.” The USDA has a very broad definition of “minimally processed”, so the term has been easily manipulated in order to apply the natural moniker to products that don’t feel natural when closely examined. Antibiotics and other harmful chemicals such as liquid smoke and natural flavorings are allowed in “natural” foods. Hormones are allowed in beef, but are never allowed in pork or chicken. Many processors therefore use very low quality chicken and pork that are full of antibiotics….and are still allowed to claim the product as “All Natural.” Their labels will state that their “All Natural” chicken and/or pork products are raised without hormones (which are not allowed anyhow), but will make no mention of antibiotics. If it does not explicitly state “no antibiotics”, you can safely assume that the meat is full of harmful antibiotics. When you see the Charcutnuvo label of “natural” we mean antibiotic and hormone free, humane treatment of animals, no added chemicals. If you are purchasing “All Natural”, make sure that the labeling also indicates “No antibiotics added”.
Organic - Organic is a USDA designation that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods and meets certain requirements. Organic products come from animals that aren’t given any antibiotics or growth hormones, and from ranchers that don’t use conventional pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified ingredients in their feed or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, bioengineering or radiation. The land that is used to raise these animals has to be free of harmful pesticides and herbicides for five years, thus ensuring there are no residual and harmful chemicals left in the soil. There are many steps along the way to ensure that the product meets all of the NOP (National Organic Program) standards throughout the entire process. For example Charcutnuvo meats come from land that has been certified organic, the animals have also been certified organic, their feed has been certified organic and non-GMO, and then the processor where animals were harvested had to be certified organic. Finally, the meat comes to us….where, you guessed it, we have to be certified organic. The organic standards describe the specific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can be labeled “USDA organic.” There is an increasing demand for organic food because of the high nutrient content and benefits to our land resulting from supporting organic.
What This Means at Charcutnuvo
At Charcutnuvo, we may eventually transition to entirely organic. We believe in organic and all of the benefits it provides, but currently certain proteins simply are not readily available as organic: elk, bison, pheasant, are just a few of the items where only a limited supply of organic exists. We also have so many loyal customers that are loyal to our natural line. Our natural and organic proteins are actually quite similar in how they are raised, treated and processed. Both our organic and natural lines are non-GMO, never administered antibiotics or hormones, are treated humanely, and have access to the outdoors. The main difference is in the feed and on the land in which they graze. Organic requires organic feed and certified organic land.
Natural vs. Organic Sausage
At Charcutnuvo we know a lot about what makes great organic and natural foods, and we know a whole lot about organic and natural sausages. In fact, we are an industry leader as we create delicious sausages from the most quality ingredients. We don’t skimp on quality because we know our customers are looking for only the best. So how do you choose between organic and natural when it comes to sausage selection?
The great thing is at Charcutnuvo you don’t have to. We offer both.
Organic Sausage
Whether you’re looking for spicy or sweet, pork or chicken, our 100% organic sausages meet the strict USDA organic standards. From brats to uncured sausage links, we know that every palette, no matter the preferences, can taste the difference when ingredients are grown without antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. It turns out that organic flavor is delicious!
The good news is we have over 14 sausage offerings that are labeled organic. You have the chance to sample a number of them in our Organic Sampler. Six different types of organic sausages are available in this bundle for only $55. Good food at a good price, is the Charcutnuvo way, but this unique package of products are only available at this price for a limited time. This sampler includes:
-Organic Breakfast Links
-Organic Hot Links
-Organic Beef Polish Sausage
-Organic Tree Hugger Pale Ale Beer Bratwurst
-Organic Chicken Apple Sausage
-Organic Mini Franks
From grown-up to kid preferences, this organic sausage bundle has something for everyone in the family. If you are wanting to make a shift to more organic meats in your diet, this is a great way to fill your freezer and your people’s tummies with delicious, nutritious meats.
Natural Sausage
If all-natural sausage is what you’re looking for, Charcutnuvo is your sausage supplier. With 16 varieties of natural sausages to choose from, you get a selection of flavors without sacrificing quality. We skip any of the preservatives, hormones, or unnecessary extras for clean, lean proteins. The flavor and ingredient variety in our Natural Sampler is exceptional. From bison to antelope, pork to chicken, you can try exotic game and comfort-food bacon in one variety pack. For only $55 you are getting a deal on this all natural meat selection that will make everyone in your group happy for lots of reasons. The textures, flavors, and ingredients are purely good. A limited time offer, you can get these incredible sausages bundled in a way that is good for your body and your billfold. The Natural Bundle includes:
-Jackalope Sausage
-Chipolatas
-Bison Wieners
-Chicken Pheasant Sausage
-Dales Pale Ale Beer Bratwurst
-Smoked Uncured Bacon Sausage with Barbeque Sauce
Now that you know the difference between natural and organic sausages and see the variety of options Charcutnuvo offers in both categories, it’s time to start making some choices. You could buy it all (I mean really, why not? You could!) But if your freezer space or guest list is limited and you need to start somewhere, remember the Organic Sampler and Natural Sampler are only available for a limited time. Those are two great options you can use as a place to start. But how to choose even between these two healthy meat options?
Choosing Your Sausage
As you consider your choices between our wide variety of organic and natural hormone-free sausages, consider what you are looking for:
Choose organic when you want:
-A certified meat product is produced, manufactured, and handled using organic methods defined by certifying bodies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Organic Food Products Act.
-To know your meat is hormone-free and plant ingredients are pesticide free.
-Humane treatment of animals and our planet.
-A longer shelf life.
Choose natural when you want:
-Food items that are not altered chemically or synthesized in any form.
-Ingredients derived from plants and animals.
-Clean meats without any additives or preservatives.
-A freshness that can’t be matched.
If you’re looking for delicious flavor and rich texture that is a healthy protein for you and your family, you can’t go wrong with Charcutnuvo’s natural or organic lines. Full of variety you have options on type of meats, seasonings, and sizes. No matter what gets thrown on the grill tonight or included in your week’s meal plan, you can be confident our natural and organic sausages are just what you’re looking for.
As always Charcutnuvo guarantee’s customer satisfaction. If you try our organic sausages and decide they aren’t what you are looking for, no problem we’ll work to make it right. If you make a purchase of our natural sausage and decide it doesn’t meet your standards, we are happy to hear from you to get you what you need. We make organic and natural sausages because we believe they are better for the planet and better for humans’ bodies. We believe in the quality of our meats and sausages to the point we guarantee you will be satisfied with the quality too.
It Takes a Team
Charcutnuvo is a team effort. We work with U.S. ranchers to bring us the best quality all natural, organic, antibiotic and hormone free meats on the market. We then partner with select retailers and distributors to bring quality organic sausages to your table. The sausage making is our part of the puzzle and that too is a team effort. We have men and women dedicated to bringing you hormone free sausages and everyone does their part.It Takes a Leader
At the head of our Charcutnuvo team is our owner and CEO Eric Gutknecht. Eric is a fourth-generation sausage maker. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Eric immigrated to the US at the age of three. The family settled in Denver, Colorado and Continental Sausage was born. In 2003 Eric and his wife Jessica purchased the company from his parents and began to make it their own. Eric honors his family’s European sausage-making heritage while bringing a fresh take with organic and all natural quality ingredients to the process. This pivot toward organic ingredients put his mark on the product. Charcutnuvo was born out of this fusion of tradition and intense attention to detail. We don’t want you to take our word for it. You can hear directly from Eric about his commitment to quality. Here are excerpts from a recent conversation we had with him on building a company dedicated to bringing customers the best quality sausage in the market.What does it mean to be a fourth generation sausage maker? What prompted you to take over the family business?
Eric: It feels good to continue on the family tradition, especially since all of the family businesses in Switzerland have either sold or closed. Charcutnuvo is now the only brand continuing the family legacy. Growing up in the business, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Starting to work at age eight I learned to appreciate the value of a dollar. I saved up and purchased my first bike in middle school and funded my love for skiing through high school and college. In high school, I would earn money by purchasing candy and snacks and then sell them for profit on the ski train or ski bus every weekend. I’ve always loved business and knew I’d be in business for myself some day….it just so happens that I also loved my time at Continental Sausage, and when my father got sick, I decided instead of going to business school I’d come back into the business to figure out if it made sense for me to eventually purchase it.
On Change
What is the evolution of Continental Sausage to Charcutnuvo? What does Charcutnuvo mean?
Eric: As we expanded nationally with Whole Foods, we ran into some potential trademark issues and decided that changing our name made sense. Since many of our long term customers considered us to be at the front end of the charcuterie movement, we took charcut from “charcuterie” and “nuvo” as a clever way of spelling the French word for new, nouveau.On Quality Ingredients
Why did you transition to a product with clean ingredients when you took over the company? Why didn’t you just continue to do things the way they had been done in the past?
Eric: I learned about the harmful effects of antibiotics and hormones through ranch visits and getting to know folks in the natural space. I met Bill Niman, the founder of Niman Ranch, and spent some time with him and his family on his ranch in Bolinas, CA. He helped me understand the importance of natural meat sourcing. We had our first child, Alex, in 2002, and did not want to feed him any products that could potentially be harmful to him in the future. When we purchased the company a year later in 2003 we switched some things around. We committed to never, ever using antibiotics or hormones and removed the nitrites from all of our sausages.On Animal Welfare
Animal welfare is obviously a hot topic in conversations around meat, is animal welfare a concern of yours?
Eric: Absolutely. Animal welfare is very important. We firmly believe that animals should grow up in as natural a state as possible. They should be free to roam and forage. We work with ranchers who share our values in this. It’s not only best for the animals, we believe it’s best for our customers because it produces the most quality meats. You will be able to taste the difference as a result.On Locally Made
You make everything in your own facility in Denver, why do you feel it’s important to have your own production plant rather than using a much larger company to make it for you?
Eric: We are all about community and like to support the community in which we live and work. Manufacturing ourselves allows us to directly employ many folks. It also allows for better quality control, higher quality production, and the ability to be fluid and flexible and adjust to meet customers’ changing needs. If we were to use a large manufacturer to produce our product, the quality and taste would certainly suffer. We would also lose the ability to control raw inputs and make necessary adjustments. Our commitment to quality is reflected in every part of our production and every intentional decision along the way.On Innovation
What is the process behind creating a new product? Where do the ideas come from?
Eric: Mike Sells (our operations guy) and I are both deeply involved with R&D (Research & Development). Sometimes I come up with the concept, and he figures out how to execute it…..or he comes up with his own concepts and mixes and matches until it works. We have a very collaborative approach to R&D, and believe that there is no idea that is too out there. As business owners we know if we’re not constantly trying to innovate, we’ll get left behind. But we also want to be continually responding to our customers’ needs. As we hear what people are looking for, we try to give them the best quality sausages in response. The world moves at such a rapid rate and I think we are just scratching the surface on creating new sausage profiles.On Personal Excellence
Tell us about your experience as an elite triathlete. In what ways does being a high level athlete demonstrate your commitment to excellence?
Eric: This is a tough question to answer, as I never like to talk about myself for fear of “bragging”, but I’m a very driven and determined person. I never quit and I set super high goals and am very motivated to meet my goals. (both professionally and as an elite triathlete.) My ultimate triathlete goal is to become a world champion in some discipline of triathlon. I was national champion in 2018 and 3rd in 2019, and will continue training and fighting until I reach my goals. Triathlon has many distances and specialties, from sprint distance to olympic distance to ironman distance, and specialties range from the traditional triathlon (swim, bike, run), to the duathlon (run, bike run), to the aquathlon (swim, run), and to my favorite: the aquabike (swim, bike). I’ve competed in all specialties and all distances, and have been ranked as high as 6th in the world (my current ranking in aquabike ½ ironman distance), and 41st in the world in the biggest category (olympic distance triathlon – like they do in the Olympics.) In business, I utilize this training structure and focus to better our company.On Excellent Sausage
How does this commitment to excellence spill over into your company with regards to both the food and the company culture?
Like in triathlon, the details matter. Every step and every action affects our overall time. It is the same in production. We strive to be super efficient and over prepared so that any challenge we face can be overcome. We also strive to be the best with the greatest quality and flavor profiles that capture the delight of both sausage consumers and athletes. I care deeply about what I put in my body as I need to consume 3500 – 4000 calories a day in order to sustain what I do physically. We happen to produce products that are perfect for the athlete and for the person or family that cares about healthy, organic foods for fuel. For me, this means eating healthy proteins and carbs that will fuel me for that great workout or race. Because of my intense training regimen, minimizing inflammation is critical. On top of this I have rheumatoid arthritis, so reducing inflammation is especially critical to me. This is one of the reasons why we don’t add any sugars to our meat products and focus on regenerative farming, grass-fed beef, free range chicken, and non-GMO products. Needless to say, I eat a ton of sausage and we have so many incredible varieties, that I’ve never once been sick of eating it. I am for sure the largest individual consumer of our products. Charcutnuvo is more than sausage. It’s family, heritage, adventure, and excellence. Eric’s values are evident in every quality sausage on your plate. There is a reason he guarantees your satisfaction. He works to make the best product with you in mind.Shopping Cart
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