Grilled Bratwurst with Savory Beer Sauce

Name: Grilled Bratwurst with Savory Beer Sauce Submitted: 3 Dec 2005 Submitter: ladygorb Category: Cultural/Ethnic Recipes Views: 258 Rating: 1 Description: U.S. State of Wisconsin traditional food - Sheboyan, Wisconsin brat, Wisconsin's Soul Food. Many festivals are held serving tens of thousands of brats and in Wisconsin, nearly everyone drinks beer while grilling brats. Hey, it's part of the culinary technique, so just do it.

Recipe Ingredients

10 brats 2-12 ounce bottles or cans of beer 1 large onions Kettle grill (Weber is the standard) Charcoal briquettes (about 30) or lump charcoal 10 brat buns Condiments (ketchup, brown mustard (yellow mustard is an abomination - don't use it), chopped onion) My Holding Sauce (see recipe below)

Directions

Mound charcoal briquettes in a pyramid. Start the charcoal. I use an electric starter, avoiding the use of hydrocarbons. When the coals are partially white, spread in a single layer. Allow the charcoal to burn until coals are covered with white-ash glowing embers (about 20-30 minutes) If you can still see a red glow, it's too early to start cooking. As you wait for the charcoal to get ready, put 2 beers in a pot. Throw in a chopped onion and the brats. If you need more liquid to cover the brats, add water. Bring the beer to a simmer (Don't let it boil - ever! When steam begins to rise from the top of the liquid, it's just right. (Boiling will cause the brats to burst). Simmer the brats for 20 minutes. Throw out the beer/onion mixture. When coals are ready, place brats on the grill 7-9 inches above the coals. Use tongs to turn the brats often until golden brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes if you have pre-simmered them. Cover grill between turns. Flare-ups can quickly ruin your brats, turning them a hellish shade of black. Flare-ups can be avoided with proper technique. Treat the brats with care. Don't puncture them or squeeze them too hard. If you see a flare-up developing, quickly move brats away from the flames if you can, immediately close grill cover and close vents for a minute or so. Some folks control flare-ups with a spray bottle of water. I find that a spray bottle is unnecessary, if you are prepared to move quickly and use proper technique. Serve brats on brat buns, dressed with a bit of the sauce and your favorite condiments. Bratwurst Savory Beer Sauce: For 10 brats: 2-14.5 ounce cans stewed tomatoes 2 bottles or cans beer 1 large onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon brown sugar Mix ingredients and bring to a simmer. Hold grilled brats in sauce until ready to eat. Do not let sauce boil. Try dressing your brat with this sauce instead of ketchup. Add a bit of brown mustard, if you wish.