This Small Wisconsin Meat Market Makes Stocking The Freezer Feel Exciting

A dill pickle pork patty won Reserve Grand Champion at a statewide meat convention. Yes, a pickle patty. I love that someone looked at a pork patty and decided it needed actual chunks of pickle inside.

That same family-run shop makes more than 35 bratwurst flavors. Apple Pie is on the list.

So is Habanero Pepper Jack, right next to classic Cheddar. The whole operation started in a renovated machine shed on a fourth-generation Wisconsin farm. That shed also hosted the owners’ wedding reception. I think that makes every package of brats feel a little more personal.

This is the kind of meat shop where a shopping list might be completely useless. One look at those creative flavors, and suddenly everything sounds worth trying. How do you choose when even the pork patties have surprises inside?

A Wedding Reception Shed Turned Into A Meat Lover’s Headquarters

Few butcher shops can say their building once hosted a wedding party. Pingel Processing LLC began in April 2020 inside a renovated machine shed on the Pingel family farm.

That same shed served as the venue for Dani and Dallas Pingel’s wedding reception. Talk about a building with range, from first dance to fresh brats.

The farm itself goes back four generations in the Red River area of Shawano County. Dani and Dallas co-own the business, and their five children pitch in too. Even the pizza-making gets some help from the younger crew.

The retail side carries its own name, Red River’s Meat Market. It’s a nod to the local area the family has called home for generations. I like that the store’s name points back to the land instead of a flashy slogan.

The facility is state-inspected and follows food safety requirements. Those labels mean food safety plans are taken seriously behind the counter. That matters a lot when you’re trusting someone with your grill dinners.

So the next time you grab a pack of snack sticks here, remember the backstory. A family farm, a wedding shed, and a big idea all got rolled into one.

Thirty-Five Brat Flavors Will Test Your Decision-Making Skills

Apple Pie bratwurst exists, and it lives in Shawano County. The house-made lineup stretches past 35 unique bratwurst flavors, which is a lot of grill nights to plan.

Pork brats come in varieties like Andouille, Cheddar, Dill Pickle, and Habanero Pepper Jack. There’s even a Bloody Mary version for anyone who likes a zesty, tomato-style kick. Those bold choices sit beside the more classic options too.

Not a pork person? The shop also makes all-beef, chicken, and turkey bratwurst. That gives everyone at the cookout a fair shot at finding a favorite.

Here’s a smart way to shop a lineup this big. Pick one familiar flavor and one wild card each visit. Over a summer, you’ll build a personal ranking without wasting money on guesses.

Brats are a serious matter in Wisconsin, so this kind of variety feels right at home. It turns a simple Saturday grill session into a small tasting event. Kids can vote, neighbors can argue, and nobody leaves hungry.

Just make sure your freezer has room. A cooler full of brats tends to disappear faster than expected.

Award Ribbons Back Up All That Flavor Talk

Judges at the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors convention know their stuff. In 2024, they named the shop’s dill pickle patties Reserve Grand Champion.

These are pork patties seasoned with dill pickle flavor and studded with real pickle chunks. That’s a bold move that clearly paid off. Pickle fans finally have a burger alternative made just for them.

It wasn’t a first-time win either. Back in 2021, Dallas Pingel’s dill pickle brat patty took third place at the same convention. Apparently the pickle obsession has been building for years.

The trophy shelf doesn’t stop there. The Cherry Pistachio Summer Sausage carries an award-winning label, and so does the Dried Beef. One of their pizza snacks also earned an award from the Wisconsin State Fair.

Awards don’t guarantee you’ll love every bite, of course. They do tell you that people who taste meat for a living were impressed. That’s a pretty helpful shortcut when you’re staring at a packed meat case.

My advice? Start with the winners on your first trip. Then branch out once you know what this kitchen does best.

Snack Sticks And Summer Sausage Make Road Trips Way Better

Cherry Pistachio Summer Sausage sounds like a dessert that wandered into the smokehouse. It’s one of the shop’s award-winning products, and it sits beside Jalapeno Cheddar and Cranberry Swiss.

Snack sticks get the same creative treatment. Flavors include Bloody Mary, Dill Pickle, Habanero Pepper Jack, and Sweet Teriyaki. The shop has noted Jalapeno Cheddar is one of its top sellers.

Jerky fans have options here too. There are several jerky types on offer, including beef and turkey jerky. That one feels like a fun curveball for a Wisconsin meat counter.

The smokehouse also turns out ring sausages like Bologna and Smoked Polish. Natural casing wieners, sandwich meats, Hunter-Style Sausage, and Braunschweiger round out the list. Award-Winning Dried Beef deserves a spot in your basket too.

Summer sausage and snack sticks are perfect for coolers, hunting trips, and lunchboxes. Pair them with cheese from the same shop for an instant snack tray. Hosting a game day suddenly gets much easier.

Grab extra sticks for the car ride home. Trust me, the first pack rarely survives the trip.

Garbage Pizza Might Be The Best-Named Thing In Your Freezer

Italian sausage, sauerkraut, jalapeños, Swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella all land on one crust. That’s the Garbage Pizza, and honestly, the name undersells it. It belongs to the Mrs. Ping’s line of handmade frozen pizzas. These pies are crafted right at the shop.

The Pingel kids even help make them, which gives the whole thing a true family-kitchen vibe. Frozen pizza is a weeknight hero in plenty of Wisconsin homes. Having one made with house sausage feels like a real upgrade. It’s the kind of dinner that saves a busy Tuesday.

The sauerkraut might raise an eyebrow at first. Think of it like a brat topping that found a new home. The tang plays nicely with the sausage, and the jalapeños bring a little heat.

Here’s a tip for stocking up. Keep a couple of pizzas ready for nights when cooking feels impossible. Your future self will be grateful. Not into spicy toppings? Ask what other varieties are available that day.

Either way, these pizzas prove a meat market can do more than steaks and brats.

The Fresh Meat Case Is Where Dinner Plans Get Made

Hand-cut steaks greet you in a fresh meat case that’s stocked daily. Fresh ground beef, pork, and poultry cuts fill out the rest of the display. That daily stocking matters for planning meals. You can pop in for tonight’s dinner instead of guessing weeks ahead.

It also means you can ask about a cut you’ve never tried.

Beyond meat, the shelves hold cheese, seasonings, and sausage-making supplies. Home sausage makers can grab the basics right here. That’s handy if you want to experiment with your own recipes.

For bigger hauls, the shop offers Pingel Pack Meat Bundles. These bundles are designed for stocking freezers in one trip. They’re a smart pick for families who like buying in bulk.

Online order forms are also available for pickup. That’s great if you know exactly what you want. You can skip the browsing and grab your order quickly.

One small tip helps a lot. For larger purchases, consider ordering ahead to save time. Wisconsin roads can be long, and fresh meat deserves a chilly ride home.

Hunters Get A Whole Season’s Worth Of Help Here

Around 1,000 deer roll through this shop each season. That number alone tells you how much hunters lean on this crew in fall. Pingel Processing LLC accepts whole deer by appointment. Quartered deer, bear, and boneless trim are taken year-round without one.

Boneless trim can come from deer, bear, turkey, elk, and moose.

Standard deer processing covers skinning, cutting, grinding, and vacuum sealing. Steaks, chops, and roasts come packaged and ready for the freezer. Ground venison is tubed into one or two-pound packages.

You can also ask to add pork or beef to your ground venison. That’s a popular move for juicier burgers. It helps lean meat hold together better on the grill.

The fun part comes with specialty products. Hunters can have venison turned into hot dogs, brats, jerky, and snack sticks. Your harvest becomes a full lineup of snacks and meals.

One note for this year: the shop isn’t accepting donated deer in 2026. During gun season, hours may stretch longer, so check ahead. Planning early keeps hunting season much less stressful.

Bigger Digs Mean Even More Room For Good Stuff

Growth hit fast for this family business. In December 2025, the Pingels broke ground on an expansion expected to add 8,290 square feet and triple the facility’s size.

Phase I wrapped up when the new retail space opened in August 2026. A grand re-opening followed on September 5, 2026. The full project is expected to be finished by the end of 2026.

The plans go beyond extra shelf space. The expansion aims to add on-site beef harvesting and grow wholesale offerings. That’s a big step for a shop that began in a farm shed.

I love seeing a family business grow without losing its roots. The new building sits on the same family land where everything started. Same people, same recipes, just way more elbow room.

More retail space should make browsing easier on busy days. It also gives that long list of brats and sticks room to shine. Wider aisles never hurt anyone carrying a full basket.

If you visited before 2026, plan a return trip. The new space gives longtime fans a fresh reason to stop by again.

Plan Your Freezer Run Around These Country Road Hours

County Road A leads you right to the goods. Pingel Processing LLC sits at W9262 Co Rd A, Shawano, WI 54166, in the Red River area of Shawano County. Look for the new brown building on the family farm. It’s easy to spot once you’re close.

The countryside drive makes the trip feel like a mini Wisconsin outing.

Hours generally run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Saturdays are shorter, from 8 a.m. to noon. Sunday hours have varied between sources, so it’s smart to check before heading out.

The busy hunting season can change the schedule. Hours may extend as late as 8 p.m. daily to accommodate the extra demand. Hunters should confirm timing before loading up the truck.

Saturday mornings are a sneaky-good time for a stock-up trip. Grab brats for the weekend and a pizza for Sunday night. Then toss in some snack sticks for the week ahead.

Bring a cooler, a list, and a little patience for decision-making. With this many flavors, you’ll want a plan. Your freezer is about to get a lot more interesting.