Basic Brats and Beer
I served this with roasted cauliflower and broccoli on the side. That’s the usual thing, clean, chop, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, 475 degree F oven for about 12-14 minutes, up to 20 minutes if pan really crowded.
Ingredients:
1 Package uncooked bratwurst (5)
1 Large Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Bottle Dark Beer
1 TINY dribble of Sriracha
A good-quality mustard
If you don’t have any Sriracha on hand, a tiny bit of Sambal Oelek will do, or even cayenne will work better than nothing. Be very careful about the quantity of any of them.
I use two pans, a grill pan and a large non-stick pan
Prep:
Peel and medium dice the onion, or slice thin and separate into rings
Peel and press or mince the garlic
Cook:
Saute the onion in the large pan at medium-high until caramelized. Salt and pepper to taste.
At approximately the same time:
Lightly oil and pre-heat the grill pan to searing heat.
Open the bratwursts, slit the skins in a few places on each side with a sharp knife, grill them in the grill pan pretty darkly on each side, don’t worry about the uncooked edges or center.
When the sides of the bratwursts are grilled sufficiently, stir the garlic and (very carefully, to taste) the tiny dribble of Sriracha into the onion mix, add the bratwursts and a quarter to a half-inch of beer, cover and simmer until a meat thermometer reads a solid 160 degrees F in the center, approximately 12 minutes. Add a little more beer when and if needed to keep it from going dry.
When done, move the brats to a paper-towel lined plate, drain any excess liquid from the onions and place a bed of onions on each plate, transfer the brats to the plates. Serve with side dish, the mustard and remaining beer.
Experiments with adding apples to the onions weren’t really worthwhile, the apple flavor was overpowered.
– Robert the Wombat