Nueske's

Nueske's family story is about great ancestors who came to Wisconsin in 1882, bringing with them European skills of applewood smoking and dozens of recipes for spicing and curing meat.

In 1933, Grandpa R.C. Nueske couldn't find smoked meats as good as those his family made. So, he decided to market his smoked bacon, ham, poultry and sausage to friends, neighbors and general stores around northern Wisconsin.

Grandpa was confident his meats would sell despite the crushing Depression taking place. People needed cheering up – something new and exciting to try – so he loaded his truck with his "fancy meats" and took to the road.

As he built his business, Grandpa taught my Dad, Bob, and uncle Jim how to select meats with the right combination of leanness and tenderness... secrets of blending spices and curing... every step critical for creating quality smoked meats. Just as important, Grandpa taught them how to create glowing embers of applewood for perfect smoking and the Nueske's signature smoked flavor.

Of course, over the past 8 decades of producing premium-quality smoked meats, many improvement were made. Our plant is modern, well-equipped, employing custom-built smokehouses and state-of-the-art packaging equipment.

One thing that hasn't changed, though, is their smoked meat recipes. They're still Great-Great-Grandpa Wilhelm Nueske's recipes. They still import spices and blend them by hand. Binders, fillers, extenders and not used and no water is added to create artificial juiciness and additional weight.