What You'll Need
Brats Pork brats are what you want. No funny cheese ones. If they're white, take flight. Johnsonville is a good choice. I have a local butcher who makes a great one, but in a pinch I can count on Johnsonville.
Beer No light or weird flavored beers. A good dark beer is what you're looking for. A pint bottle will be enough for 6 brats.
Mustard Yellow is the preferred mustard, but any mustard is also good.
Buns Regular hot dog buns work well, but some of the best brats I've had were served on a grilled roll.
Onion A small to medium sweet onion, diced if you prefer raw onion on your brat or sliced if you're going to grill them.
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
SauerkrautOptional
Boil the Brats
In a 4 quart sauce pan, combine the beer, the garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and brats.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. With a fork, pierce several holes in the brats. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes while you prepare your grill.
The theory behind this was told to me by an old Wisconsin tavern owner. Once the internal temperature rises to a certain point, the fat begins to boil. The piercings allow the brat to exhale some of the grease, then inhale the beer. Whether or not this is an old wives' tale, I don't know. I do know it makes great tasting brats.
Time to Grill
Cooking the brats is relatively easy. Place them over the fire and turn every couple of minutes. About ten minutes total cook time is all it should take. I go by the color. I look for an even brown with some decent looking grill marks.
Prior to pulling the brats off the grill, you may want to lightly grill the buns or rolls. Lightly butter them or brush with olive oil before placing them on the grill.
This is a good time to also grill the onion, if preferred.
Let's Eat!
Throw the brat on the bun and put the mustard to it. Top with the onion and Kraut, if so desired.
Normally, ketchup is never used on a brat, but the French don't mind if you use it on fries.
Happy Grilling!
