First thing's first: Buy Johnsonville brats. THEY HAVE TO BE JOHNSONVILLE! Ok, they don't have to be, but Johnsonville brand is by far the best in the world of bratwurst. You can buy the beer flavored ones if you want, but with the way I'm going to show you how to fix 'em, you can buy plain and they'll still be beer-y and delicious.
Next up, find a pot that's a quite a bit bigger than the brats you're putting inside: for a single package of 5 brats, you could use your largest saucepan, but if you're making 2 or more packages you should probably use a bigger pot, like this one:
Then you pile the brats in the bottom. Make sure they aren't stuck together- go ahead and stack them, but separate them from their packaged, cling-to-each-other-for-dear-life state, like this:
Next, slice up an onion into thick rings. I usually slice my onions in half, just because it's easier, then slice them into rings. The onions are just cooked for flavor- no one will be eating them, so they don't have to be perfect. This is the idea:
And then scatter them over the top of the brats like this:
Next up, the BEER team. Now, just a note. I don't actually drink at all, for religious reasons. I do cook with alcohol on a regular basis, but if you prefer not to, you can still make tasty brats. Just substitute water or beef broth for the beer and keep on with the recipe- you'll still get a great onion flavor infused into the brats, and they'll cook faster once you get to the grill. If you are using Beer, however, don't be a cheapo. Buy a decent craft beer- something with a deep flavor. More flavor in the beer = more flavor in the meat. You don't have to spend a boat-load of money on it- I don't even really know my beers (because I don't, in fact, drink... and they don't sell Wisconsin's local favorite, Leinenkugel's, here in Utah) but I try to buy something decent. Pour 1-2 bottles of beer over the brats. You basically just want to cover the meat. Don't FILL the pot- it should look about like this:
After that, you FILL the pot with another few inches of water- enough to completely cover the brats, plus about an inch. Think about 1/3 beer to 2/3 water on your liquid team, and you'll be good. If it looks something like this, you're ready to bring the heat:
Bring these guys to a boil and then boil them until the meat is fully cooked. Will this make your house stink like beer? Why yes, yes it will. Open a window and deal with it; I promise the end product is worth it. The brats will look sort of swollen and juicy when they're done boiling- this is a good thing. Don't pop the skins and release the juice. That would be a bad thing.
See that? They're perfect. Throw them in a ziplock bag and store them until you're ready to grill. You can prep the brats up to a couple of days before you grill and store them in the fridge, but if you're going to be grilling within a few hours I prefer not to chill them. It just means they'll take longer later- and I usually boil them close to when I'll be grilling.
Next up: the grill. Now, I'm guessing that you think you know how to prep a grill, but just to be sure, PLEASE follow that link and watch Alton Brown give some tips- you can ignore the last bit about indirect heat- that doesn't really apply here.
Now that you've been enlightened with regard to charcoal and grill prep, slap those brats on your prepared grill and cook them to a crusty, dark brown perfection (like Alton said, no flames please!). Oh, and once again, DON'T YOU FREAKING DARE POP THE SKINS OPEN!! I don't mean to be all shouty at you, and I realize that there's most likely a health-conscious part of you saying, "But think of how many calories I would save myself if I let that fatty juice out!" Don't do it. Could this meal give you a heart attack? Yes, if you ate brats every day, it would be a distinct possibility. But fat equals flavor, my friends, and this is one of those times when I really feel like the fat is worth it. Also, popping the skins and draining fat will cause grease flame-ups that very well might singe off some of your arm hair, and the meat will get dry and tough. With bratwursts, you want them to be very dark brown, almost black on the outside when you take them off the grill. The brats should look like this, or even a little darker, when they're done:
Serve these puppies on WHEAT buns (hoagie-type buns work in a pinch, but wheat is MUCH better). They may be hard to find at your local grocery store, but if you can get them, do. It's how we Wisconsinites do brats, and it just adds a little extra something. I'm all about the traditional approach, so I serve these with ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut (homemade is best), but you can add whatever you want. If they look like this, then you've succeeded and fatty bliss is upon you:
That's all, folks! I'd say bon apetite, but some frenchman would probably have a hissy fit at the thought of a human being putting THAT in their mouth. So be it. Instead, I'll sign off with this: I hope you had a great Memorial day, and wish you lots of delightful summer grilling. See you next time (with an update on my cake quest)!
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