Bears Brat Food

BEER BRATS

Steps:

• Place brats in a Dutch oven with onions and butter, cover the brats with beer. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until brats are cooked. Remove brats and set aside beer mixture. Grill brats until golden brown and return to beer mixture until ready to serve. Serve brats on fresh baked brat buns with sauerkraut, onions, green peppers, ketchup, and/or mustard.

BEER-BRAISED BRATWURST & ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet or nonstick pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bratwurst and sear until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the sausage to a plate; set aside. Add the onions and salt to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes (do not burn; reduce the heat if necessary).
• Place the bratwurst back in the pan on top of the onions, add the beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid, and simmer for 10 minutes (at this point the sausages will be partially cooked through). Remove the cover, increase the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the bratwurst are cooked through and the beer is reduced by about three quarters, 10 to 12 minutes more. Serve the bratwurst and onions on rolls with mustard and sauerkraut, if desired.
• Note: I use Johnsonville Original Brats; avoid any brats already flavored with beer, as the finished dish will taste too bitter. Also be sure to purchase fresh (not cooked) sausages.
• Note: Lager is a family of beers that includes bright lagers, amber lagers, dark lagers, Oktoberfests, and pilsners. I use Sam Adams Oktoberfest, but Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite are all good options. No need to use anything fancy!
• Note: The nutritional information does not include the optional serving ingredients.

BEER BRATS

Steps:

• Light a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to high.
• In a medium pot over high heat, bring beer and half the onions to a simmer (save remaining onions for serving). Add bratwurst to the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until they are just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer sausages to the grill, and grill until they're well browned on all sides, 2 to 5 minutes, turning often.
• If you like, while the brats are grilling, let the beer and onions boil over high heat until the onions are very soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve onions for serving.
• Grill the rolls, cut-side down, until golden, about 1 minute. Serve the brats sandwiched in the rolls and topped with onions (either raw or beer-braised, or both), along with any condiments you like.

SKILLET BRATS WITH BEER CARAMELIZED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, then the onions, peppers and garlic. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to soften and the onions turn translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Move the onions and peppers to the side of the skillet and add the bratwurst. Score the bratwurst with a knife on both sides. Add to the pan and sear, about 3 minutes per side. Add the beer to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, turning the bratwurst and stirring the vegetables occasionally, until the beer reduces by half and the brats are cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve with hot pepper mustard and pretzel rolls.
• Whisk together the vinegar, water, honey, sugar, banana peppers, bell peppers, onions and garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low/medium low and simmer until the peppers and onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a small food processor or blender and puree until very smooth. Add the mustard and puree until just incorporated. Season with salt. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely, then refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.

BEER BRATS

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. When hot, lightly oil grate.
• Combine the beer and onions in a large pot; bring to a boil. Submerge the bratwurst in the beer; add the red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bratwurst from the beer mixture; reduce heat to low, and continue cooking the onions.
• Cook the bratwurst on the preheated grill, turning once, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with the beer mixture as a topping or side.