Bratwurst and Sauerkraut Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil brats in beer before grilling? ›

Boiling brats in beer will ensure that they are cooked through before grilling so that they don't burn and dry out on the grill. This will make them more flavorful and juicy. The boiling time will vary, but the general rule of thumb is that they will be fully cooked with 10 minutes of boiling.

There are two main ways that I would serve bratwurst in sauerkraut. First, in toasted buns with a delicious grainy mustard, and maybe some German Potato Salad on the side. Second, on a plate with the sauerkraut as a bed and a side of either mashed potatoes or potato salad.

Place brats on grates directly over heat and grill on each side until browned. If the casing bursts or burns move brats further from the coals to reduce cooking temperature. Cook brats for 15-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

GRILL YOUR BRATS LIKE A PRO

Don't poke holes – Some recipes may call to poke holes in your brats to soak up a sauce or beer. Holes allow the brat's juices to leak out as it cooks. Don't boil them – Boiling is an effective method for making brat-flavored water, but that's about it.

Any beer will do, but pale lagers work best. Boil in the beer bath for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the brats turn white. Once your brats are cooked through, you'll want to sear them to achieve the crispy skin and grill marks we all love.

Combine beer and onion slices in a large pot; bring to a boil. Add bratwurst, pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to beer and onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

Sauerkraut is probably the most ubiquitous and one of the more traditional bratwurst toppings. It literally translates to “sour cabbage,” and that's pretty much all it is! The sour part comes from fermentations, but don't let that scare you.

Add squeezed sauerkraut to onion in the skillet. Stir chicken stock, sherry, brown sugar, and caraway seeds into sauerkraut mixture. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 to 40 minutes.

Don't overcook your brats! You'll know they're done when the internal temperature (as measured by a meat thermometer) reaches 160 degrees.

What is the best way to cook brats indoors? ›

Preheat pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add a bit of cooking oil to coat the bottom of pan. Dry bratwurst off with a paper towel and place sausages in the heated pan. Turn every 2 minutes for 10 minutes until cooked through and no pink shows in the middle (proper pork temperature 160F).

Butt/Shoulder: Boneless pork butt is very common for making sausages. It contains 20-30% fat so is perfect for sausages as this is the perfect fat to meat ratio (or you can add another 5% fat for extra tenderness and juiciness). If buying from the butcher, request 'boneless shoulder/butt'.

The best way to do this is precooking the brats in a broth of beer and water. Get a pot and add in beer and water in equal amounts (you can throw in other seasonings, like onions or garlic). Simmer the brat in this mix for 15 minutes to cook the sausage and add more flavor to it.

Sausage is a preparation of ground meat that can be found in dried or fresh varieties and sold either in casing as links or in bulk. Bratwurst is a specific type of fresh link sausage made with pork or veal.

Add extra flavor to your brats by cooking in your favorite beer. They'll take on some of the characteristics you love – citrus, hops, malt and more. Try different beers with different brat varieties.

Beer brats actually don't have any alcohol in them because the alcohol is burned off during the boiling process. Thus, beer brats are non-alcoholic and kid-friendly.

By spending less time on the grill the brat is less likely to dry out, and some pre-soakers believe the brat soaks up a meaningful enough amount of beer to influence the flavor and juiciness. The beer also makes the sausage casings more pliable, and less likely to split.

Grilling cookbook authors including Jamie Purviance, Steven Raichlen and the America's Test Kitchen team extol parboil benefits. Shorter grill times and adding beer flavor are the biggest gains. Johnsonville Sausage bratwurst packages instruct grillers to toss fresh brats directly onto the grill.