Cooking Bratwurst
Were talking about raw bratwurst now.

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The perfect Brat has several different characteristics.

1. It is done all the way, but juicy , and the skin hasn’t split open.
2. It has a snap when you bite into it. But not so tough you pull the whole wurst out of the bun when you take a bite.

If you are going to pan fry the Bratwurst or Wiesswurst then here is the way my grandmother did it for us.

1.Prick each sausage with a sharp fork, to keep them from bursting during cooking. 2. Put into a skillet with about½ inch of water, and cover.
3. Cook over medium heat till water is evaporated.
4. Uncover and brown a bit, over low heat, in the small amount of fat left in the skillet.

For the Feuer Braten or BBQ

Since bratwurst is usually a fresh (raw meat) sausage, the perfect brat requires a two-step cooking
process , to cook it on a stove top or microwave first and then heat and brown on the BBQ. Otherwise you will run the risk of burnt skin and a raw middle.

Step 2:
Pour a bottle of dark beer in a frying pan. Bring to a simmer and add about 4 to 6 bratwursts
If you are cooking more brats, add more beer and use a larger pan.
My favorite beer to use is a Porter, but any beer gives the brat more flavor than water. Cook the Brats
until they are close to being done, about 140 degrees approximately 5 minutes. This way the brats are past the bacterial zone and safe to just plop on the grill and heat up like you do a hot dog. You can do this step ahead of time, even the day before.
Step 3:
Now your ready for the BBQ,
You don't want to have a scorching heat that will burn the brat, but a nice hot grill that will make some
nice dark lines on it and will safely bring it to "hot and juicy" while you can relax and talk to your guests ,or get some other things done for the lunch while they cook. You can then just eyeball them to see if they are done. Put your hand on a few inches over the grill and if you need to pull your hand by the count of 3, it should be ready.

To get the proper “bite” to the bratwurst it must first have that natural casing. Next you must brown it a bit to get that casing nice and crisp.

The other thing that makes for a good bite is just before you serve the brat, make a small slit like you were going to cut the brat in half. When you place it on the bun it will straighten out the “curve” and sit nicely in the bun.

This is for Bratwurst should be par-boiled before putting it on the grill. One of the main things you want to avoid is popping open the skin. You will lose juices that way.

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