How to cook a brat

[GatorAGR]

Just linked up my first ever batch of Bratwurst (I’ll post pics later). They are drying in the fridge now for a few hours. How do y’all recommend cooking them? Poaching in beer or water followed by grill?

 

[DieselTech]

Idk I probably been doing mine wrong for years. But I like to throw them in a crockpot with beer & low & slow cook them.

Then either pan fry in cast iron skillet or better yet throw them on the grill for a bit.

 

[Steve H]

Yup. Poach in beer. Then grill. My favorite way.

 

[indaswamp]

I braise in water, cook the water out, then braise/fry the brats to brown. Throw in the onions, brown those down, then add the beer.....makes a really good gravy for the brats on a bun or with mashed taters...

 

[02ebz06]

Don't forget the onions... onions & beer.

 

[nlife]

I poach mine in beer (lager or ale) with half an onion, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of salt. Poach for about 10 minutes or so depending on how big they are. This is just a simmer, not a hard boil.

While they are poaching, fire up the grill and get it piping hot. Place them on the grill to crisp them up a tad and give them some decent color. I don't mind if the casing breaks while I'm doing it.

Of course I like to pile mine high with raw onions and gobs of mustard.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Many ways to go about it but the poach method is King in my view, however it’s done.

 

[chopsaw]

Classic brat with eggs and milk or cream I like to poach , then grill .
Indirect on a hot-ish kettle is my go to for a " grilling " type sausage .
Never sees a flame or direct heat . A hunk of apple or Oak gives them great flavor and some good color . Just watch that first bite .

 

[thirdeye]

At home I like to prick the sausages then poaching in a beer, onion, butter bath with a shake of hot sauce, then finish on the grill. Plan B is poaching in a SV bath, with the same ingredients in the bag. Sometimes I'll go lightly on the onion in the bath and serve with pickled onions.

For larger groups, I do the opposite. Indirect until 155° or so, then finish / hold in a beer, onion, butter bath. And as always, I have a selection of mustards.

 

[Steve H]

At home I like to prick the sausages then poaching in a beer, onion, butter bath with a shake of hot sauce, then finish on the grill. Plan B is poaching in a SV bath, with the same ingredients in the bag. Sometimes I'll go lightly on the onion in the bath and serve with pickled onions.
View attachment 698187
View attachment 698188
For larger groups, I do the opposite. Indirect until 155° or so, then finish / hold in a beer, onion, butter bath. And as always, I have a selection of mustards.
View attachment 698189

I love the sweet and spicy mustard

 

[tallbm]

Just linked up my first ever batch of Bratwurst (I’ll post pics later). They are drying in the fridge now for a few hours. How do y’all recommend cooking them? Poaching in beer or water followed by grill?

I grill mine.
Why? I don't like casings to ever be chewy which I have run into trying to poach, boil, or pan fry.

Grilling basically does not have this problem as long as it is flipped and gets well heated all around as it cooks :D

 

[JLeonard]

At home I like to prick the sausages then poaching in a beer, onion, butter bath with a shake of hot sauce, then finish on the grill. Plan B is poaching in a SV bath, with the same ingredients in the bag. Sometimes I'll go lightly on the onion in the bath and serve with pickled onions.
View attachment 698187
View attachment 698188
For larger groups, I do the opposite. Indirect until 155° or so, then finish / hold in a beer, onion, butter bath. And as always, I have a selection of mustards.
View attachment 698189

I picked up their jalapeño mustard! Just right as Far as heat goes.


Jim

 

[Fueling Around]

My wife introduced me to the best method.
Griddle cook the brats swaddled in sauerkraut.
Sauted kraut is killer

 

[gmc2003]

I grill my either indirect on the kettle or on the greate in-between the flavor bars on my gas grill.

Chris

 

[chef k-dude]

Depends on the weather!...unless your grill is under roof. I've cooked brats with beer in the pan, but I never thought they really took on much beer flavor. It's cool and all, but for me, drinking the beer while eating the brat has much more beer flavor! Now, cooking in the pan or griddle with the kraut like JohnE wrote sounds good. It wont do much of anything for the brats in my opinion but it would impart the brats flavor in to the kraut.

I like browned casings...in fact on the edge of burnt is what my mom and I will gravitate to. My wife and dad prefers moderate browning. I've done the beer, water till evaporated then browned, even roasted in the toaster oven if its just a couple to four brats, and all worked fine. I've never done it, but I bet air frying would work too.

I dont make my own brats, but where I am today is, I look for a great sale (or if Sam's decides on a whim to carry them, cant count on them though), buy a bulk amount and grill them all at once over medium-low direct heat, watching them like a hawk. Then I foodsaver them in packs of two (It's usually just me and the wife eating and we only eat one each usually) and freeze for easy button meals in the future. Thaw them and then it takes maybe 30-60 seconds in the microwave, still sealed in the bag to get them hot. Heat up kraut of choice (I like all straight-up krauts...no sugar, no flipping caraway seeds; ingredient list should say cabbage, water and salt...thats it) and also make a warm German potato salad...and spicy brown mustard. For me sweet doesn't belong here.

 

[thirdeye]

...grill them all at once over medium-low direct heat, watching them like a hawk. Then I foodsaver them in packs of two (It's usually just me and the wife eating and we only eat one each usually) and freeze for easy button meals in the future. Thaw them and then it takes maybe 30-60 seconds in the microwave,

Before vac-sealing your two-packs of brats, try freezing little mounds of kraut (on oiled wax paper) and put them into the vac bags. Being frozen, no juices will get sucked into the machine. When you reheat, everything is in one bag.

 

[geostriata]

I braise in water, cook the water out, then braise/fry the brats to brown. Throw in the onions, brown those down, then add the beer.....makes a really good gravy for the brats on a bun or with mashed taters...

Totally agree, with one addition. I found I couldn't get as much browning as I liked. Once I tried resting a bacon press on top of the links as they brown (or another pan), I was blown away. Then just flip and re-rest half way through. I'm never going to do it without this step now.

Definitely try this if you want more browning and you go with the pan-seared approach.

 

[BigW.]

I just throw them on the grill.

 

[GatorAGR]

I decided to poach then grill and over-cooked them a bit. 2nd try, watched the IT close and pulled from the poach at about 140 IT then drained and finished in the cast iron pan to brown and get up to 155 IT before pulling off. Turned out perfect.

 

[IN2HNTN]

For me it will depend on the brat. If store bought, then light boil in beer & onions (about 10 min.) then finish on the grill for nice color. If they are homemade brats then straight to the grill, since I add beer to the brat mix. I have also slow sautéed in butter and onions or kraut in the cast iron on the stove top.