Johnsonville brats

[millerbuilds]

LOL, the sophisticated folks ! Haha. Have a good one !

Forgot to mention, it was a Case of Bud...

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Wrbasher, didn't mean to hijack your thread.... My apologies!

 

[reinhard]

Never had a Johnsonville anything so I can't speak to that.  However when I grill my sausage at home I have done it two ways.  Indirect heat and then finish off over direct heat for a short spell.  The other way is to simmer the links in good beer and onions and then put the grill marks on.  Always turn out fine.  I would think the store bought one's would be the same.  You may have dried them out a bit in the smoker.  Reinhard

 

[chewmeister]

 
Never had a Johnsonville anything so I can't speak to that.  However when I grill my sausage at home I have done it two ways.  Indirect heat and then finish off over direct heat for a short spell.  The other way is to simmer the links in good beer and onions and then put the grill marks on.  Always turn out fine.  I would think the store bought one's would be the same.  You may have dried them out a bit in the smoker.  Reinhard

Yes, I should have mentioned after simmering in beer and onions, then on to the grill.

 

[chewmeister]

 
After spending 12 years in the Capital of Brats (Wisconsin) I learned that brats are meant to be grilled, slowly to cook through.  Cooking them in Beer and onions cooks the flavor out.  If you want to par cook them in beer and onions do it before you grill them.  You will also want to cool the brats in the liquid, when you do this the brats will pull the moisture ( equals flavor) back into them.  Then throw them on the grill and serve with fresh Kraut (not that canned stuff).  And if in Wisconsin you decide to put ketchup on your brat, you might as well be drinking a Budweiser, cause you will quickly loose friends.  Either mustard or stadium sauce (created by the guys who ran the food service at county stadium (Miller Park) are supposed to go on a Brat.

For even a better Brat, order some Klements or Usingers, they are both awesome Brats.

Just my opinion....

Smoke ON!

-Jason

Usingers are good, but never cared much for Klements. Gulden's spicy brown was the mustard of choice.

 

[road king]

45 years in WI and counting.  There are many ways to cook brats.  The most popular method is lightly simmering in beer and onions, preferably a strong beer, for 30 minutes.  Any longer and you cook the flavor out.  The brats will be fully cooked so all that is needed is to crisp them up on the grill with good caramelization. 

The next step is preference only.  Some put them back in the beer and onions and others eat them off the grill.  I prefer to eat them off the grill.  They have a great snap and the flavor is incredible.

The stadium sauce is like mixing catsup and barbeque sauce together.  It has a thin consistency with a bit of a tang.  It is made by Sports Service.  You should be able to get it online.

Bud vs. Miller.  Bud is from St Louis and Miller is from Milwaukee.  We tend to not like things from St. Louis every since they beat us in the World Series in 1982.  They have always been a better organization and we are just envious.

 

[wrbasher]

Great perspective road king. To quote Chief Wiggum, "if it feels good, do it"

 

[mummel]

Johnsonville brats are so-so.  I've sampled so many good sausages from around the world, mostly from Germany.  They are great.  I find the local store made ones contain a lot of fat and are salty as hell.

If you really want to get into it, why not get a stuffer! 

 

[wrbasher]

I made some venison sausage last winter and it turned out really good. Working on honing my smoking skills first.The brats were just something quick and easy to try.

 

[cal1956]

they most likely have a " collagen " casing  and those can be just out right tough

 

[steve k]

I agree with the simmered in beer and onions approach, and then you brown them on the grill.  (You smoke kielbasa, not bratwurst.)  I love the flavor of Brats in beer, and can't agree that this cooks the flavor out of them. I learned how to cook them this way in Northern Wisconsin.  I'm not a fan of Johnsonville recently. I used to love them, but seems like they've gone from about 80 per cent lean to about 50.  So, I started to make my own out of lean, coarse ground pork and the seasoning pack from PS Seasonings form Ironwood WI.  You can order the pack on line for about $7.00.  Once you make your own, you'll never want to buy them again. Don't cook them too long.  Simmer in the beer, onions, and water for an hour, then brown on the grill for about 20-30 minutes, indirect heat.  This gives them a golden brown snappy skin, but not tough to bite through, juicy on the inside.  I tell my grown kids I'm cooking my Brats, and they all suddenly make time for Mom and I.

 

[steve k]

 
they most likely have a " collagen " casing  and those can be just out right tough

Not a fan of J'ville, but I can stick up for them and tell you that they use English hog casings, not collagen.  

 

[cal1956]

you could be right , I have only ate them once  ( didn't like em )  and I didn't really pay any attention to the casing

 

[heavy hauler]

Sitting here reading old threads thinking about summer. I used to enjoy a Johnsonville snot rocket untill I had brats from Hoffs in Brownsville WI. We make the 1.5 -2 hr drive about once a year and bring home around 60 lbs of them in various flavors. But I still cook them all the same way (unless they have cheese in them then straight to the grill) 1 - 1/2 cans of skunk beer preferably bush ligbt. I usually dedicate a case to the shed every spring to warm and cool/ ferment. Boil around 20-25 minutes with or without onion. Chuck em on the grill untill nice and dark almost blackened. Some spots will burn with grease flair up. Don't worry what it looks like it's food not art. Just don't burn them to a crisp. Go from grill back to beer pan and into the house to eat. Ketchup and mustard of choice. I prefer a good spicy horseradish mustard. This is how we do it in my part of WI. Just don't grill em to fast or you get an uncontrollable grease fire and soot covered brats. Sorry for rambling.

 

[chewmeister]

Sitting here reading old threads thinking about summer. I used to enjoy a Johnsonville snot rocket untill I had brats from Hoffs in Brownsville WI. We make the 1.5 -2 hr drive about once a year and bring home around 60 lbs of them in various flavors. But I still cook them all the same way (unless they have cheese in them then straight to the grill) 1 - 1/2 cans of skunk beer preferably bush ligbt. I usually dedicate a case to the shed every spring to warm and cool/ ferment. Boil around 20-25 minutes with or without onion. Chuck em on the grill untill nice and dark almost blackened. Some spots will burn with grease flair up. Don't worry what it looks like it's food not art. Just don't burn them to a crisp. Go from grill back to beer pan and into the house to eat. Ketchup and mustard of choice. I prefer a good spicy horseradish mustard. This is how we do it in my part of WI. Just don't grill em to fast or you get an uncontrollable grease fire and soot covered brats. Sorry for rambling.

Not familiar with Hoff's as I grew up in SE WI. Parents used to make regular trips to Sheboygan when I was a kid for brats at Luedke's market there. They have since closed but Miesfeld's there has the world champion brat. I may try some of those next time I get out that way.

 

[gr0uch0]

Miesfeld's are really good, but Usinger's are my go-to. Pre-cooked fine grind and their apple & Gouda can't be beat. You'd be surprised how much private labeling Usinger's does for other retailers.

 

[heavy hauler]

Hoffs makes alot of specialty brats I would have to look them up but I think 25 varieties I can't remember for sure.

 

[heavy hauler]

Miesfeld's are really good, but Usinger's are my go-to. Pre-cooked fine grind and their apple & Gouda can't be beat. You'd be surprised how much private labeling Usinger's does for other retailers.

I will have to give them a whirl the wife wants to make a trip to door county some weekend during the summer.

 

[bluewhisper]

I liked when I was rolling through a small town west of Sheboygan when I saw a meat shop with CUSTOM SLAUGHTERING painted on the side. Those were great brats.