August 1, 2004
Bratwurst That Right Way
Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Another Grilled Bratwurst in Beer recipe. I did some research though and this one is a little different. Obviously, I bought some brats on sale last week and froze them in packages of two sausages each. Also obvious, it must taste pretty good or I wouldn’t take the time to write it down from my own future reference. I found the recipe in a booklet that was given away by the pork industry booth at the BBQ competition last weekend.
What I know about Bratwurst:. I can get one at the hot dog stand outside the exit doors at Home Depot and if you put one in the smoker for an hour and a half your get a fine tasting sausage, not that there’s anything wrong with the HD tube. Anyway, brat’s were on sale - $3.00 for a pound and a half and I have some and I don’t won’t to fire up the smoker for two sausages. I would be willing to fire up the Weber charcoal grill. Maybe. What it boils down to (thats going to be a pun you’ll want to remember), there are two basic ways of grilling brats.
1) Simmer brats in beer and onion for 10 to 45 minutes depending on the recipe, grill for a few minutes to get color and burn marks. Put brat in bun and dress with favorite condiments. You’ve seen the commercial — “any recipe that starts with open three beers”.
2) Grill brats for something like 10 to 15 minutes. Maybe grill some onions and peppers at the same time and if you believe the Johnsonville TV commercial, you’ll dunk them in a tin foil pan of simmering beer for the miscreants who won’t show up anywhere near the appointed time and you’re going to wuss out and keep a plate warm for them.
Clearly you need brats, beer and onions. Color me stupid, but I’m having a hard time believing that method 1, simmering in beer and onions is really going to impart a lot of flavor to the sausage and I can think of better things to do with “open three beers and pour in a pot”. Likewise, pouring a bunch of beer and onions into an tin pan on the side of grill to hold the brats. I want a recipe for one, not some mystical crowd that shows up with TV cameras when the charcoal is ready.
The recipe I chose, from the pork council booklet, is more like #2 but I mixed it up my way. I’ll give you the recipe that feeds four but know that I cut it in half to feed one and I tinkered.
Heat oil in skillet then, brown onions and sugar until well, brown but not burnt. You need need to stir often. Say 10 minutes. Add beer and bay leaf, lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in mustard and remove bay leaves. Set aside.
Grill brats, turning frequently. Say for 12 minutes on a medium grill. Put brats in the skillet of onions and heat until pan is reduced to a glaze.
Then there is real life cooking two brats: Start the charcoal chimney.. Heat pan to medium or less while slicing onions. Add oil to pan and add onion slices, stir frequently and remove the pieces that are obviously leather like. Do that for until the onions go golden. Stir them a a lot. Add a half bottle of Dos Equis Amber (that’s what I had on hand for dark). Reduce heat as low as it will go and still do a simmer. Add brats and cover for a minute. Turn brats over, cover again. Repeat every minute until the charcoal is ready.
Spread coals to get a medium heat. Put the gray amorphous not really par boiled brats on the grill and turn every time you have the time because back at the pan of onions you are reducing the mustard and beer into a condiment, a topping. Something like 10 minutes on the grill. Meanwhile you’ve got a reduction to stir. Add beer if it looks too dry. I used a full bottle of beer by the time dinner was ready, double the half recipe. but a third less than the “Open Three Beers” TV commercial.The brats were good but the onions were fantastic.