Sheboygan Style Bratwurst
Ingredients
- 2 Bratwurst per person
- Brat bath = 1 cheap beer 1/2 stick of butter, and 1/4 onion sliced per 4 brats.
- Brown mustard not yellow for heaven’s sake.
- Ketchup many purists would protest, but I see more people use ketchup than not and I like a little ketchup on mine.
- Seasoned Chopped Onions
- Dill slices
- Brat buns - In Sheboygan this means a hard roll big enough for a double brat, but singles are easier to find in most places. Most importantly it needs to be strong enough to hold together with brat(s) and all of the toppings.
- Butter - as if there is not enough calories already I learned to butter the buns before building the brat and it does add another level of flavor and richness.
Instructions
- Chop an onion the day before, and sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper. Store overnight in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. These are for serving on the cooked brats.
- Pour the beer into a sauce pan and add the butter and sliced onions. Simmer until the onions are soft and translucent, and then add the brats. Do not let the brats boil, just a low simmer to warm them up before the grill. Save the brat bath to use again later.
- Grill the brats slowly on low and indirect heat - they should take 20-30 minutes to cook. They will brown nicely if given enough time. Too hot and they will split, losing precious brat juice. Use tongs, a fork will poke holes in them. They are done when they are firm - I pick them up and let them take a short drop to see if they will bounce.
- Remove them from the grill and put them back into the brat bath to hold them until it’s time to eat (give them at least 10-15 minutes). This will ensure juicy, flavorful brats.
- Serve with the brat buns (buttered if you like) mustard, ketchup, chopped onions & dill slices, and a good beer.