Bratwurst are delicious, naturally prepared pork sausages. Served straight off the grill, they are truly irresistible with their light smoky aroma. They are originally from Germany which made them famous all over the world. They can be boiled, baked, on the barbecue, smoked and cooked with many different ingredients, the most popular being beer and onions. They are simple and quick to prepare and, with a little patience, they will be succulent and perfectly cooked.
Steps
Method 1 of 9: Buy Bratwurst
Step 1. Choose the type of bratwurst you prefer
On the market, there are many variants and the typical German ones bear the name of the region of origin. The differences lie in the thickness, length, color and flavor of the sausages. Among the best known are:
- Coburger;
- Fränkische;
- Kulmbacher;
- Nürnberger;
- Nordhessische;
- Rote;
- Thüringer;
- Würzburger.
Step 2. Buy raw ones from the butcher
The butcher is always the best place to buy meat. Find out where they come from and what the ingredients are; entrust yourself to a renowned butcher's shop that guarantees hygiene standards. Make sure your bratwurst is wrapped in waxed meat paper.
Some shopkeepers may order special meats for you. If you are looking for special sausages, you can try asking your butcher if he can get them for you
Step 3. Shop at the grocery store
Sometimes you can find raw bratwurst even in non-specialized stores and supermarkets. Particular brands are often quite expensive, while others, widely available, are affordable. They can be flavored, seasoned and even stuffed.
Step 4. Choose the pre-cooked ones that you can find in the supermarket
You typically find them on the shelves of every supermarket and grocery store, often in packs of 6-8 sausages. They can be smoked or flavored with spices.
Step 5. Prepare them yourself
In this way you can customize the ingredients and consequently the flavor. This is a very long process that requires the right equipment, such as a meat grinder and a stuffer. You also need to get the casings and have enough space to dry and store the sausages. Read this article for more information.
Step 6. Buy enough
Calculate at least one sausage per person, but know that many love to "make an encore", so always get a few more.
Method 2 of 9: Boil the Bratwurst
Step 1. Put some water and sausages in a large pot
The pan must be deep enough to completely submerge them. Be careful that they do not overlap each other and try to space them a lot, if you want to obtain an optimal cooking.
Alternatively, you can use a 50% water and 50% beer blend for an extra touch of flavor
Step 2. Boil them for about 20 minutes
Set the heat to medium-high and heat the water until it reaches a boil, then lower the heat so you don't spoil the sausages. If you let them simmer gently you will get better results.
If the bratwurst are pre-cooked, just heat them up; there is no need to check cooking as often as you would with raw ones
Step 3. If desired, finish cooking on the grill
In this way you give them more flavor, just transfer them to the barbecue with a pair of kitchen tongs and "brown" them for 5-10 minutes, turning them at least once for even cooking. Once golden, they are ready to be enjoyed.
You can also do the opposite: first grill them for 5-10 minutes on each side and then boil them for 20 minutes
Step 4. Check the internal temperature
Use a meat thermometer and check that it has reached 70 ° C.
Method 3 of 9: with Beer
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients
To cook these sausages in beer you need everything you need to be at hand before you even begin. Here's what you need:
- Bratwurst: the quantity depends on the capacity of the pan and the number of diners.
- A medium sized yellow, white or sweet onion.
- 180 ml of dark beer.
Step 2. Cut the onion
Take one of medium size and cut it into rings, it will cook with the sausages and give them a pleasant flavor that goes perfectly with the pork.
Step 3. Melt some butter in a thick-bottomed pan
You can use a heavy skillet or a Dutch oven for this preparation. Set the heat to medium-high and melt about 15 g of butter making sure it greases all the bottom of the pan.
Step 4. Add the onion
Brown it for 1-2 minutes in butter, stirring frequently.
Some recipes recommend cooking the onions after cooking the sausages to better monitor the preparation of the latter, without running the risk of overcooking the onions
Step 5. Add the sausages to the onions
Let them brown for a couple of minutes and then turn them with kitchen tongs. Both sides must be gilded.
Step 6. Pour the beer into the pan
Go slowly and add all 180ml of dark beer (about half the size of a regular bottle) and put the lid on the pan. Lower the heat and let the onions and bratwurst cook for about 15 minutes. The beer will boil the meat giving it a great flavor.
Step 7. Finish cooking on the grill
Remove the sausages from the pan with the help of the tongs and place them on a plate. Transfer them to a preheated grill and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning them at least once halfway through cooking.
Step 8. After this time, remove them from the grill and place them on a serving plate
Garnish with cooked onions.
Alternatively, you can serve them on the table directly in a roasting dish or Dutch oven
Method 4 of 9: On the Barbecue
Step 1. Do not use very high heat
Bratwursts will burn and break if suddenly subjected to excessive heat. Also, they may cook on the outside but remain raw in the center. Heat them slowly by increasing the heat gradually.
Step 2. At the same time, do not set the barbecue temperature too low
If the heat is not very intense, you risk overcooking the meat internally. Moreover, in this way, the times expand a lot; consequently they appear to be cooked but in truth they undergo excessive stress and as a result you will get dry and dry sausages as soon as they start to cool.
Step 3. To begin, cook the bratwurst in liquid in a disposable aluminum pan
The heat of the barbecue heats the liquid and the sausages before they are placed directly on the grill. You can find disposable pans in the supermarket.
- Add chopped onion, red or green peppers, and other vegetables. You can also arrange a bed of sauerkraut on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour some beer over the sausages (about 180ml) and let them simmer for 15 minutes. Check the internal temperature, it must be 70 ° C.
- Remove them from the container and transfer them directly to the barbecue for 5-7 minutes. Remember to turn them halfway through cooking.
Step 4. Bratwurst should be grilled at medium temperature
Let them cook for a few minutes on each side. If you have not previously boiled them in water or beer, you will need to cook them for 25 minutes. Don't forget to turn them a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
Do not prick them, otherwise the juices of the meat will come out of the intestine and will be too dry
Step 5. Don't stack them together
If there are too many sausages on the grill, the risk of flare-ups increases due to the dripping fat. Spacer them well so that they cook evenly.
Step 6. Spray them with water or beer
While cooking, you can sprinkle them with water or beer to prevent them from burning. Pour the liquid of your choice into a spray bottle and mist it from time to time. Alternatively, use a kitchen brush.
Step 7. Take them off the heat
Use kitchen tongs for this and to transfer them to a serving tray. Do not use the same one in which you put the raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination; check that the internal temperature of the sausages is 70 ° C.
Method 5 of 9: Baked
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
After turning on the appliance, wait about 10 minutes.
Step 2. Place the sausages on a pan with an internal grill
Make sure there is some space between each of them and align them perpendicular to the grid bars.
You can use a cast iron skillet instead of a grill pan. Remember to turn them every five minutes to prevent them from burning on one side
Step 3. Bake them for 5 minutes
Place the pan on an oven shelf and close the door. Wait for them to cook for five minutes.
Step 4. Rotate the sausages at 5 minute intervals
Open the oven and remove the pan, protecting yourself with an oven glove. Use the kitchen tongs to turn the sausages and then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes. After this time, repeat the operations. Cook the meat for a total of 15-20 minutes.
If you don't turn the sausages, you run the risk of burning them
Step 5. Check for cooking
Take a meat thermometer and slide it into a sausage so that it reaches the center. You should get a reading of 70 ° C.
Method 6 of 9: at the Grill
Step 1. Move the oven shelf to the top of the appliance
To grill bratwurst, you need to place them 10-17 cm from the element on the "ceiling" of the oven.
If your model has a separate grill compartment, skip this step
Step 2. Preheat the grill
Most models only have an "on / off" button with no temperature control. Simply turn it on and let it heat up for 10 minutes.
Step 3. Put the meat in a pan
Cover it beforehand with aluminum foil and arrange the sausages well spaced and perpendicular to the pan grates.
Alternatively, you can use a cast iron skillet, but remember to turn the sausages every 5 minutes to prevent them from burning on one side
Step 4. Cook them for 5 minutes on each side
Place the pan on the oven shelf just below the grill and close the door. Wait 5 minutes.
Step 5. Check the internal temperature
Remove the meat from the oven and check, thanks to a special thermometer, that it is 70 ° C inside. Leave the tip of the tool in the sausages for about a minute.
At this point they should have streaks left by the pan grid
Method 7 of 9: Smoke the Bratwurst
Step 1. Heat the smoker
This process is very different from other cooking techniques on the grill or on the stove. The temperature used is rather low and the times are very dilated. Heat the smoker to about 93 ° C following the manufacturer's instructions. You may need to add water or flavorings, depending on the model.
- Some people like to smoke bratwurst at higher temperatures (120 ° C), while others use even lower heat (40 ° C) during the first hour, then gradually increase it to 50 ° C and 65 ° C. Lower temperatures require longer cooking times.
- American walnut or apple wood give an excellent aroma to these sausages.
Step 2. Use the kitchen tongs to put them in the smoker
Line them well apart so that they have room for even cooking. Do not pierce or cut the casing.
Remember that if they are placed on the lower shelf than the upper one, they cook more slowly
Step 3. Cook the sausages for 2-2, 5 hours
It is not necessary to turn them halfway through cooking, leave them undisturbed for at least 2 hours. Every time you open the door, you allow the smoke and heat to escape, thus extending the waiting time.
Adjust the cooking times if you are smoking them below 93 ° C
Step 4. Check the internal temperature of the sausages
After 2 hours insert a meat thermometer inside them, they should reach 70 ° C.
Whenever you check the temperature, always use the same bratwurst as "champion". This way, you only worsen the quality of one by poking it and letting the liquids out
Step 5. Remove them from the smoker when finished
Use the tongs to transfer them to a serving tray. Use a different dish than the one you stored them raw in to avoid cross-contamination.
Method 8 of 9: Microwave
Step 1. Place the sausages in a microwave safe dish
Only heat a few at a time. This gives them all the space they need for even cooking.
Step 2. Cover them with water
Fill the dish with enough warm water to completely submerge them; this prevents them from drying out during cooking. The water needs to boil, so make sure there is enough of it so it doesn't evaporate completely.
Step 3. Cook the bratwurst for 2 minutes
The microwave has a very fast action, but does not allow you to adjust the temperature; for this reason, cook them for 2 minutes, so that they do not burn on one side.
Follow the appliance manufacturer's instructions. Cooking times may vary depending on the model
Step 4. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes
Use tongs for this and remember to space them so they cook completely. Set the microwave to maximum power.
Be very careful! The dish will be hot. Wear oven gloves to take it out of the microwave
Step 5. Check for doneness
Use a meat thermometer and stick the tip into the center of the sausage; you should have a reading of 70 ° C.
Alternatively, you can cut them and check the inside. If the meat is still pink, put it back in the oven for another minute on maximum power
Method 9 of 9: Storing the Bratwurst
Step 1. Store them raw or pre-cooked in the refrigerator
Leave them in their original packaging until you are ready to consume them. You can keep them in these conditions (with the packaging closed) until the expiration date printed on the label. If you've already opened the package, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.
- Raw bratwurst, whose packaging has been opened, can be kept for 2-3 days in the fridge.
- Those pre-cooked, if already opened, last for 4-5 days.
Step 2. Freeze them raw or pre-cooked
If the packaging is still intact, place it in the freezer which will keep them edible for up to two months. Remember to freeze them before the expiration date. Write the date you placed them in the freezer to keep track of the "new expiration date".
- If you've already opened the package, transfer the meat to a freeze-safe container and then to the freezer. You can keep it in this condition for two months.
- If you want the life of the bratwurst to exceed two months, wrap them (with the original packaging) in very thick aluminum foil, sealing each opening well. Alternatively, use a very sturdy plastic bag. This way you avoid freezing damage on the meat.
Step 3. Keep them cooked
Let them reach room temperature and then transfer them to an airtight container. At this point you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you prefer to freeze them, they will last 3 months. Write the storage date on the container so you can keep track of the expiration date.
- Cook several at once and freeze them. This way you will always have delicious meals available.
- Do not place raw and cooked bratwurst in the same container.
Step 4. Finished
Advice
- There are many recipes for cooking this type of sausage. Do some research online by typing the words "bratwurst recipes" and try new ingredients.
- Use a beer that you like, and that you usually drink, to cook these sausages. Don't use too bitter beers (IPAs), the final flavor could be a disaster.
Warnings
- To avoid cross-contamination of food, use two different dishes for raw and cooked bratwurst.
- Make sure you cook them well, as they are prepared with pork. To be sure to eliminate the risk of food poisoning, cook them at least at 65 ° C with a standing time of 3 minutes and check that the internal temperature at the end of cooking is 70 ° C.
