8 replies to this topic

[NorthernWiner]

A Wisconsin football tradition. Use only fresh, uncooked brats from a good butcher, not the pre-cooked ones you find sold alongside hot dogs at the supermarket. Frozen Johnsonville brats will do in a pinch, if that's all you can get. I usually simmer the brats in beer the day before the game, then let them sit in the fridge overnight. You may see recipes that tell you to puncture the casings with a fork before simmering, but to let all that good juice escape would be a crime, IMO.

Tailgate Beer Brats

One dozen fresh bratwurst
2 cans of Wisconsin beer (this is the only respectable use for PBR)
1 big onion, roughly chopped

Put the beer and onions in a stock pot. Carefully arrange the brats so they are all beneath the surface of the liquid and slowly bring to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL as it causes the casings to burst. Simmer on low for 30-40 minutes, using a spoon to remove any scum from the top. Refrigerate the whole thing overnight.

The next day, fire up the grill. I prefer a plain old Weber grill for tailgating. Light a full chimney of charcoal. Once it's started, add them to the grill and spread out in a single layer. Let the charcoal burn down so they are mostly white ash (maybe a half hour). I usually put more briquets on one side than the other, so you have a cool spot to place any brats that finish cooking early.

Set the grate over the charcoal and rub it with a little oil. Grill the brats for about 10 minutes, turning frequently with tongs (no forks) until golden brown on all sides. Don't overcook and be gentle - you don't want to pierce the casings and lose all the juice.

That's it. If tailgating, I serve them up right off the grill. If at home, I nestle them in a bed of hot sauerkraut on a serving platter. You can also keep them warm in a crockpot with sauerkraut.

Condiments: kraut, minced onions, and brown mustard (Koops Dusseldorf Mustard is a favorite. Guldens brown mustard is widely available and not bad either)

Suggested side dishes: Sauerkraut (a must), German potato salad, and plenty of cold beer.

[Howie]

Here in the Buffalo area we do wings for football.
I have a suggestion for you - there is a locally made mustard, Weber's, that I bet would be great with your brats. A very close approximation is to mix French's yellow mustard with a generous dollup of fresh horeseradish. Another one you may want to try is simply take some Coleman's Dry mustard powder and mix it with just enough beer to make it spreadable. WHEW! Either of these will clean out your sinuses.

[Little Blind Guy]

Steve,

Your way is pretty much how we make out brats except we throw some dried sage leaf in the pot with the onions when we boil them. After the brats go on the grill strain out the onions and serve them as a condiment for the brats.

[Paulthenurse]

You're not making my diet any easier, Steve.

[NorthernWiner]

Steve,

Your way is pretty much how we make out brats except we throw some dried sage leaf in the pot with the onions when we boil them. After the brats go on the grill strain out the onions and serve them as a condiment for the brats.

I haven't tried sage, but have used some whole spices in the beer bath. Coriander seed, bay leaf, allspice, and juniper are all German-food friendly.

[Doyle]

OK Steve,

I have my engineering hat on again. I noticed in your recipe that you don't prick the sausages. I do the same. It keeps the juice in. But with natural casings, I am a little unsure that any flavoring passes into the sausage. Do you feel that the beer or seasonings do indeed influence the flavor of sausages? I also heat my sausages often times in beer. Seems like the right thing to do but I am kind of wondering if it really makes a difference.


Always in search of the best sausage,
..Doyle

[Little Blind Guy]

OK Steve,

I have my engineering hat on again. I noticed in your recipe that you don't prick the sausages. I do the same. It keeps the juice in. But with natural casings, I am a little unsure that any flavoring passes into the sausage. Do you feel that the beer or seasonings do indeed influence the flavor of sausages? I also heat my sausages often times in beer. Seems like the right thing to do but I am kind of wondering if it really makes a difference.
Always in search of the best sausage,
..Doyle

Hmmm... not having researched this and by no means really knowing what I am talking about, my instincts would have told me that a natural casing would be more permeable than a synthetic casing. After all, the original use for the natural casing was absorption of nutrients. Like I said, I really don't know what I'm talking about and only making an assumption.

[Howie]

Years ago in our area there were a few Lum's restaurants, one of which was owned by a friend. They were known for "hot dogs steamed in beer". After a while my friend stopped using beer because after many taste tests and trials he determined that the beer made no difference in the taste.

[NorthernWiner]

I've tried it both ways. The brats with the breached casings do in fact have more beer flavor, however, the sausages also become tender to the point of sometimes falling apart after grilling. I think that most people prefer the initial "pop" you get from biting into a juicy bratwurst (or at least I do - I've never actually taken a formal survey on the subject. )

Getting more beer flavor to the meat is also the reason I marinate them overnight, whereas some folks go right from the par-cooking directly to the grill.

When making homemade bratwurst, maybe it would be worth mixing a little beer directly into the meat before stuffing the casings?