Beer Braised Brats Sandwich Food

OPEN-FACED BRATWURST SANDWICHES WITH BEER GRAVY

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and onion; cook and stir until bratwurst starts to brown and onion softens. Stir in beer. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until a thermometer inserted in bratwurst reads 165° and brats are no longer pink, 12-14 minutes., Remove brats and onions; keep warm. Add remaining butter to pan; whisk in flour, dill weed and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened, 3-5 minutes. To serve, place 1 brat on each slice of bread; top evenly with onions and gravy.

BEER-BRAISED BRATWURST

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Tear off a 20-inch-long piece of heavy-duty foil. Put the onion, garlic and bay leaf on the foil, piling them on one side; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Dot with the butter and place the bratwurst on top. Fold the foil over the onions and bratwurst, then fold in the edges on two sides to seal, leaving one side open. Carefully pour the beer into the open side, then fold in the edge to seal.
• Place the foil packet on the grill onion-side down; cook 10 minutes, then carefully flip and continue grilling until the onion is softened and the bratwurst is warmed through, 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, grill the rolls until toasted.
• Carefully open the packet. Remove the bratwurst and grill, turning, until lightly charred all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Return to the packet to toss with the onion. Serve with the rolls, sauerkraut and 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.

GRILLED BEER BRATS WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, deep saute pan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, the green and red peppers and the garlic and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers are wilted and lightly browned. Add the beer, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf and rosemary and deglaze the pan. Prick holes in the brats with a fork or skewer to prevent them from bursting during cooking. Add the brats to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 to 17 minutes, turning the brats halfway through.
• Preheat a grill or cast-iron griddle to medium-high heat.
• Remove the brats from the pot; let the braising liquid continue to simmer and reduce. Pat the brats dry with paper towels, then score them diagonally, making 3 or 4 shallow incisions on either side (this will ensure plenty of crispy edges when grilled). Brush the grill lightly with oil and grill the brats for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until well-marked.
• When the braising liquid has reduced to the consistency of a sauce, remove it from the heat and stir in the mustard and butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To serve, spoon some of the braising sauce, along with the peppers and onions, onto a platter. Set the grilled brats on top and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

BEER-SIMMERED BRATWURST

Steps:

• Preheat the grill for direct grilling, high heat.
• Combine the beer, caraway, coriander, mustard seeds, onions, garlic and ginger in a large stockpot. Then, add the bratwurst. Place the pot on the grates of the grill and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sausages until half-cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the grill and let the bratwurst sit in the liquid for 30 minutes. Transfer the brats to a platter or cutting board and strain the liquid into a bowl, discard the solids.
• Brush the sausages with canola oil and grill until the casings are crisp and golden brown and the sausages are cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Keep warm until serving.

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.

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.

BEARS BRAT

Steps:

• For the bratwurst: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Bring the beer to a simmer in a pot with the apples, sliced onions, salt and pepper. Add in the brats and simmer, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out the solids and reserve 1 cup of the beer base.
• Brown the sausages on the grill to add color and texture, 5 to 6 minutes.
• For the beer mushtard: Mix the mustard, jalapenos, mayonnaise and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved beer base in a bowl. Adjust the thickness with more beer base if necessary.
• For the sandwich build, place the grilled brats on the pretzel buns, followed by some beer mushtard and Caramelized Onions.
• Add the oil and sliced onions to a skillet and stir to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the onions begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir only once and keep for another 5 minutes undisturbed. Once the onions are golden and soft, set aside. (Add water if necessary to help deglaze the pan throughout the cooking process.)

BEARS BRAT

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
• Add the apples, onions, beer salt and pepper in a medium pot or Dutch oven. Simmer until the apples and onions soften, a few minutes. Add in the brats and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning once. Remove the brats from the liquid and reserve the beer braising liquid.
• Brown the brats on the grill, covering with a metal bowl if using a grill pan, until you get nice grill marks on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Place the brats on the buns and drizzle with some of the Beer Cheese Sauce. Top with the sauerkraut, some mustard and the jalapenos.
• Add the cheese and mustard to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Add the beer braising liquid and stir to combine. Add more braising liquid if the sauce is too thick; the sauce should be velvety.

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.