Beer Grilled Bratwurst
You ever have a “what in the $%*@$ was I thinking” moment? I am going through one right now and it is all thanks to Nicole from Pinch My Salt. Last week on Twitter she asked if people wanted to join her in her quest to bake all the formulas in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice (click here to read more). I do not know if it was blind ambition or the booze that made me enthusiastically agree to her plan and offer to join in.
I bought the Bread Baker’s Apprentice well over a year ago and the only action the book has seen was a cat deciding to knock over a glass of water all over it. Until being soaked the book sat open at the pizza dough recipe for a couple of weeks mocking me with a sinister no fing way you can do this so do not even try smirk. Hell even the front cover mocks me with the girl holding the beautifully baked loaf of bread with a no way this will be yours smirk on her face.
My other oh crap moment is reading the e-mails with people introducing themselves and realizing I may be the only baking virgin in the group. Great just flipping great. Nothing against baking but if I make a whole batch of cookies you better believe I am eating the whole batch of cookies. Stupid living alone and lack of self-control. Thanks to this challenge I am now joining a racquetball league to offset the large quantity of baked goods I will be consuming.
However, a deal is a deal and my fellow readers will be blessed with a colorful weekly blog post chronicling my trip down the rabbit hole of insanity. My close friends who read my blog if you have not heard from me in over a week, please call the paramedics and do not come into the house. I do not want you to see me covered in flour, sobbing uncontrollably, drunk, and between sobs yelling at a blob of flour screaming why will you not rise. It is not that I do not think you can handle the sight but I do not think I could ever look you in the eyes knowing you saw me at my weakest moment. If you could do me another huge favor and while I am institutionalized once a week pick me up a gyro platter with extra tzatziki and chicken souvlaki from Friends (Greek restaurant on Lima). The favor would be greatly appreciated and it will drastically help me regain my sanity return to a comfortable level of insanity.
Besides the cases of whiskey, straight jacket, and spare mattresses to pad my middle bedroom is there any must have items for bread making? I already own a digital scale, KitchenAid stand mixer, scraper, thermometers, and some bowls.
Let us return the subject matter to grilling before I have another panic attack…
Summer grilling to me is all about burgers, bratwurst, and other assorted sausage family members that can be grilled and shoved in a bun for easy consumption. One of my favorite ways to grill brats are to first cook them in a pan of beer and sauerkraut and then quickly grill them over a hot grate so they can get some wonderful grill color and smoke. When I have a cookout there is a good chance that in the corner of the grill there is a foil pan full of this goodness ready to accept any sausages that want a dip in the jacuzzi of love.
For this recipe you will need:
- Bratwurst (I am using a jalapeno bratwurst that my favorite butcher makes)
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
- 1 bottle of good beer
- 1 28 ounce jar of sauerkraut
- 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a disposable aluminum foil pan or a cast iron Dutch oven add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and unsalted butter with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place this over a hot grill and cook till the mixture is softened.
In another bowl combine the beer, sauerkraut, bay leaf, paprika, caraway seeds, and mustard. Stir to combine. After the onion mixture is softened add the beer mixture along with the bratwurst to the pan. Cover the grill and let this mixture simmer until the bratwurst are done (about 20 minutes).
After the bratwurst is cooked through remove from the pan and place over hot coals for a couple minutes to get them some of that beautiful grill color and flavor.
Serve and enjoy!
That’s my way to do Cinco de mayo! Good luck with that whole breadmaking thing…think I’ll stick to my no knead bread in 5 thing
Shy to admit that I never had this Bratwurst before. You make me want to go and buy some.
Look delicious as always.
My husband would be happy to come home to some bratwurst. This looks amazing, Jeff. If the whole bread making thing goes wrong, be sure to videotape it and post to youtube ok? It is a lot easier than what you think. Pizza dough has to be one of the easiest though, just make sure your yeast is fresh. Have fun!
I just learn about this challenge now. I have been borrowing this book from the library and did not make one thing out of it. Maybe I should join the group and that way that will force myself to start baking from it. I love the Artisan Bread in 5 min. a day. Quick, simple and very good. Can’t wait to look at your pictures, with flour on the flour, in your hair…
Love the way you cook your Bratwurst, in beer, that’s my kind of Dinner.
Good Lord you make me laugh! The only thing you have to semi worry about with bread making is making sure your yeast is good. Look at the expiration date on the pack. You’ll be just fine, I remember being a bread virgin too, the first time is always nerve racking, but as long as that yeast bubbles up your good to go. Soon you’ll be a bread making maniac!! I can’t wait to read the first bread making post!!! If you have any questions I’d be more than happy to help. The bratwurst looks fantastic!!
Yum, I love your style of cooking up the brats.
As for equipment, I would invest in a baking stone, nice and thick, and a peel. Parchment paper is always handy to have around as well, as well as a couple of good, restaurant quality baking sheets, usually called half-sheet pans.
TIme to start stocking up on your flours and yeasts too!
Looking forward to your BBA challenges!
Bread and baking are definitely some of my biggest fears. Savory dishes seem to be so much more forgiving. Plus there’s also the whole issue of what to do with the baked goods once they’re made…the idea of eating them all by myself, while appealing, is probably not the best. That being said, way to go for challenging yourself! Isn’t that one of the points of blogging - that we force ourselves to try things that are out of our comfort zone. (Some people walk down dark alleyways in the bad part of town, we decide to do things like make gnocchi or 6-layer opera cakes).
I am intrigued by this jacuzzi of love business. And the bratwurst, which I have never had. What a great way of making them!
I laughed out loud at your lack of baking skills!
That sounds like a fun project. I know how you feel, just until about 6 short months ago, I had never even attempted to make home made bread. The thought of yeast terrified me, waiting for the dough to rise, punching the dough down, waiting again. BUT, once I did it for the first time, it wasn’t that bad and I cannot tell you how proud of myself to bite into that great fresh tasting bread and know that I made it all by myself!!
You can do it! And, your brats look awesome!
Dude, does mean taligate season is here early? That’s the business!
I am slowly beginning to like bread making. Notice the words like and slowly in there.
So you are so not alone in your straight jacket-madness.
Don’t you love the smell of peppers and onions sauteeing away in the pan? Love that.
Those look wonderful!!! We have brauts a lot in the summer. Everyone seems to love them. I like mine piled high with onions on a nice grilled bun.
Now you have me craving one now!
I had to stop myself from entering this challenge. I’ve had the book for ages, and I’ve made a few things from it, and they were all fabulous. But I just don’t know if I could keep up.
You need to get a baking stone. I used unglazed quarry tiles from Lowes or Home Depot. They work good and they’re pretty cheap. I have about 8 of them, and all pushed together they make a nice size stone.
ahhh. i just love bratwurst. there’s this amazing german bakery near me that grills them every saturday at lunch time. love, love, love them! these look amazing!
Beer brats will forever be one of my favorites. Period. Or should I say .
Good luck with the baking challenge. I just can not commit, but that’s an entirely different story.
I feel like my life is a succession of “what in the $%*@$ was I thinking” moments but one thing is sure.. i would dive in this tray of sauerkraut and bratwurst head first! You did a great job at making me really hungry.
Beer brats will forever be one of my favorites. Period. Or should I say .
Good luck with the baking challenge. I just can not commit, but that’s an entirely different story.
Oops, should have mentioned good post! Waiting on the next post!
If you want to feel baking pain, try making CROISSANT dough from scratch only to have them turn out deliciously buttery but with the internal consistency of a friggin’ loaf of bread! 2 days I spent rolling, folding, chilling, rolling, folding, chilling. I want to master the croissant so desperately, but the first batch left me sitting in a kitchen at 2am eating freshly baked croi-bread with a glass (or 6) of champagne. But I don’t know how to fail, so I’ll be back for more abuse.
It’s been ages since I’ve had proper beer brats… No brats here… Great duck with olive and chicken with walnut sausages, but no brats.
As to the baking requirements… A dog to help with the mistakes. A big dog. I can loan you one.
oh yeah… Good luck! (snigger)
Yum! This sounds delicious.
This looks like such a fantastic meal. I have bratwurst once in a while and enjoy it when I do, I love the way you prepared it.
Mmmmm brats and sauerkraut are a great combo. I’ve been dealing with the stench of homemade sauerkraut for nearly a month though so I think I’ll have to wait a while to try this one.
Regarding Nicole’s challenge, you are a brave soul. I’m not much of a baker either, partly because I know I’ll end up eating most of it and partly because I’m so bad at following directions. Good luck!
Those sausages look great! And sauerkraut is one of my faves!
Good luck with the baking challenges! I am sure you will learn a ton, and then you can smirk right back at the girl on the cover with her gorgeous bread.
hurry up and get on it - I would love to try one of these tasty brats in one of YOUR homemade rolls - its all about the yeast - you’ve heard it enough here - too hot you kill it to cold it wont kick in - to old and it needs viagra…
lol! you’re funny! I’m more of a baker myself than a cook, but I suck at baking breads, too!
that bratwurst sounds sooo flavorful and delicious, with the addition of the beer! I can just imagine how addictive it canbe!
an amazing dish - this is simply mouth watering
sauerkraut isnt a greek taste at all, which is why i dont make it at home, but there’s nothing like a good sausage and some pickled cabbage
You’ll be happy to know that you are NOT the only bread baking virgin out there! I too had NEVER baked any bread (well besides banana bread & I’m not counting that) b4 this challenge. What a great idea for the raquetball to offset the baked goods consumption! It’s been great learning but not so great for the waistline
Looking forward to Brioche this week! Ah, the butter! LOL