Family Chow Hall

Birthday Bratwurst

August 31st, 2006

I’m sure I’ve posted about bratwurst before. Our entire family likes bratwurst - I always grill it and we stuff it into hot dog buns and everyone puts their assorted toppings on.

Pat likes to put sauerkraut on his, our oldest likes sauerkraut, onions, brown mustard, and horseradish on his. My oldest daugher puts ketchup on hers (Pat thinks this is a sin against her German heritage). Our second daughter and I both like either mustard or sauerkraut, depending on our mood. Jacob (who turns 6 today) usually wants his cut up and eats it plain, as does our two-year-old.

Brats are Jacob’s usual requested birthday meal. I still ask, but it’s just a formality. He loves bratwurst, so I have some in the freezer, just waiting for his birthday to arrive.

Here’s how I prepare bratwurst:

Boil the links for about 10 minutes. This precooking helps prevent undercooking when you get them on the grill. If you skip the precooking, the brats will often be black on the outside and still pink in the middle.

Then, heat up the grill and keep a squirt bottle of water handy. Grill over medium heat for another ten minutes. Unfortunately, bratwurst are very high in fat and the juices cause plenty of flare-ups while they are being grilled. It’s best to stay nearby and be prepared to put out that fire.

Check for doneness. This is pork, so you always want to be sure it’s cooked thoroughly. When cooking bratwurst, I cut into every single one and check the center before I take them off the grill. If the center looks the slightest bit pink, I leave them on for a bit longer.

Have plenty of toppings handy. As noted above, popular toppings are onions, sauerkraut, brown mustard, ketchup, as well as pickle relish, shredded cheese, and coleslaw.

Enjoy and Happy Birthday Jake!

I’ll post of picture of him next week.

Entry Filed under: Holidays, Mixed bag, Old-Fashioned Foods, Recipes, Supper, pork, sandwiches