Reis Meat Processing in Pocahontas offers brat-popping flavor

Opened in 1999, Reis Meat Processing in Pocahontas has perfected tasty meats and taken them to the next level. Family owned and operated by the Reisenbichler family, Reis Meat (pronounced RICE) has earned its reputation of creating wonderful brats, sausages and snack sticks.

Beginning in 2006, Reis Meat began winning awards with its meat creations from the Missouri Association of Meat Processors. Its latest award in 2017 was for Grand Champion Snack Stick, which means one of the best snack sticks in the state can be found in Pocahontas, a 20-minute drive from Cape.

One of my favorite things to get at Reis is the freshly smoked pulled pork. On most weekends, you can go in and buy it by the pound. Add it to some toasted buns with BBQ sauce, dollop it with some homemade pimento cheese and you have something that would compete with any BBQ in the area.

Sometimes they also have freshly smoked ribs, huge and full-bodied, tender and delicious with a pink smoke ring just under the surface that attests to smoking done right. Just call ahead and make sure they have it that weekend, or check their Facebook page.

(And for a bonus, here is my favorite homemade pimento cheese recipe: 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, and 4 oz jar of diced pimentos drained. Beat together with a hand mixer until thoroughly combined and salt to taste. So good with a sweet BBQ sauce.)

Award winning snack sticks, old fashioned summer sausage and a pile of brats from Reis Meat Processing.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

If you're craving just straight up meat, Reis has that. They always have fresh ribeyes, and many other cuts are available frozen, such as roasts, sirloins, cube steaks (awesome in the slow cooker), and ground beef. If you call ahead, they can cut you almost anything -- one of the benefits to having a local butcher. All of this meat comes from local animals raised by local farmers. It doesn't get much better than that.

Ah, brats. How shall I compare thee? The brats from Reis are the best I have tasted. It starts at the beginning, where the meat is finely ground. I have never bitten into one of those little hard gristle pieces in Reis' brats. Then the spices are added, unique for each flavor. Additional items can be added to the meat, such as tiny cheese cubes, or small chunks of vegetables. You can see cheese and peppers in the Supreme Pizza brats. This flavor has quickly shot to the top of my favorite brats and you can't find anything like them at a regular grocery store.

Now, I know this isn't an article about a restaurant and tasting some of these delicacies will take a little more effort, but trust me. If you can find a day where you have 30 minutes, make some brats. They are really not as temperamental as people make them out to be. The traditional way to cook a brat is on the grill, and yes, you have to watch them closely to keep them from burning. But if you find yourself in the winter craving a brat, then let me tell you how I cook them when grilling season is over.

I put them in an uncovered casserole dish, single layer, and place them in the oven under a low broil. Move your oven rack up high and use that broil function! Sometimes, I don't even thaw my brats. I'll put them in the microwave just enough to get them apart, then throw them in the oven frozen. Is that sacrilege? I prefer to think that it's real-life practicality -- and it works. The broiler will still get the skins brown and crispy. When you pull them out (after about 10 to 15 minutes for fresh; around 20 minutes for frozen, turning once) watch closely. They will be sizzling and spitting grease and smelling amazing.

Reis' brats get the crispiest, because they still use natural casings to make them. When my teeth try to bite into a brat and the skin resists, and then break through with an audible pop, I am in heaven. Sweet meat juice floods my mouth, savory and unlike anything else. Ahhh, brats.

At Reis Meat Processing, rows of freshly smoked sausages hang from the rack like jewels from the best necklace ever.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

Then the question is how to top them? The Supreme Pizza brats are best with some slow sauteed onions and peppers. I like classically flavored brats with sauerkraut and brown mustard. I never use ketchup myself, but I'm not judging if you do.