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How do you properly cook a bratwurst ?
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sean
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:50 pm    Post subject: How do you properly cook a bratwurst ? Reply with quote

Hi,

How do you cook a bratwurst without grilling it ?

Some people say you should boil it in water .. others in beer ? Some even just throw it in the oven.

Which is the best way to get a nice "snappy" crisp brat ?

Many thanks
Sean
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.....get a nice "snappy" crisp brat ?

hmmmm. "crisp" as in a crispy casing? - most often the crispy casing quest leads in the direction of a "natural" casing.

as for "how to cook" - probably several thousand answers to that.

in water, in beer, in sauerkraut - you name it.

Blaue Zipfel - hope I spelled it right - is a german dish - brats in beer (Blau = blue = german slang for tipsy . . .)

a popular technique is a boil/simmer in a liquid to ensure a thorough cooking, then grilled / broiled / pan fried to get some color and crispy outside.
getting them 'fully cooked' can be tricky in a grilling situation (burnt outside, not cooked inside....)
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DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:29 pm    Post subject: Re: How do you properly cook a bratwurst ? Reply with quote

sean wrote:
Hi,

How do you cook a bratwurst without grilling it ?

Some people say you should boil it in water .. others in beer ? Some even just throw it in the oven.

Which is the best way to get a nice "snappy" crisp brat ?

Many thanks
Sean


The proper way to cook a German sausage is to boil in water for 5 minutes, remove to plate. Serve with fine German mustard.

This information comes directly from Dittmer's Wurst Haus in Mountain View California. This is where you can place an order with the butcher in either German or English. The place is absolutely the most amazing I've been in a long damned time.

http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/001009.html

Biggles
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kgb1001001



Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 108

PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:39 am    Post subject: Re: How do you properly cook a bratwurst ? Reply with quote

DrBiggles wrote:
sean wrote:
Hi,

How do you cook a bratwurst without grilling it ?

Some people say you should boil it in water .. others in beer ? Some even just throw it in the oven.

Which is the best way to get a nice "snappy" crisp brat ?

Many thanks
Sean


The proper way to cook a German sausage is to boil in water for 5 minutes, remove to plate. Serve with fine German mustard.

This information comes directly from Dittmer's Wurst Haus in Mountain View California. This is where you can place an order with the butcher in either German or English. The place is absolutely the most amazing I've been in a long damned time.

http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/001009.html

Biggles


Being from the Midwest, where Bratwurst cooking is an art, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you, on this one, Biggles. A "Brat" in the US is not the same as a standard German sausage -- it's not eaten the same and it's not cooked the same. First of all, I assume that the original poster was intending to put it on a bun, right? That's the first difference right there...

What I recommend (and what I've done for years, and all my friends and relations have done) is to cook it in two parts. First boil it in BEER (the cheaper the better -- Budweiser does fine) for about 5 minutes. Then finish it on either a hot grill or in a hot frying pan until it just develops a nice crust and some good scorch marks. Then you can put it in a warmed bun and top it with (as you mentioned) some good german-style mustard, some grilled onions, or whatever else your heart desires.
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DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:14 am    Post subject: Re: How do you properly cook a bratwurst ? Reply with quote

kgb1001001 wrote:
DrBiggles wrote:
sean wrote:
Hi,

How do you cook a bratwurst without grilling it ?

Some people say you should boil it in water .. others in beer ? Some even just throw it in the oven.

Which is the best way to get a nice "snappy" crisp brat ?

Many thanks
Sean


The proper way to cook a German sausage is to boil in water for 5 minutes, remove to plate. Serve with fine German mustard.

This information comes directly from Dittmer's Wurst Haus in Mountain View California. This is where you can place an order with the butcher in either German or English. The place is absolutely the most amazing I've been in a long damned time.

http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/001009.html

Biggles


Being from the Midwest, where Bratwurst cooking is an art, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you, on this one, Biggles. A "Brat" in the US is not the same as a standard German sausage -- it's not eaten the same and it's not cooked the same. First of all, I assume that the original poster was intending to put it on a bun, right? That's the first difference right there...

What I recommend (and what I've done for years, and all my friends and relations have done) is to cook it in two parts. First boil it in BEER (the cheaper the better -- Budweiser does fine) for about 5 minutes. Then finish it on either a hot grill or in a hot frying pan until it just develops a nice crust and some good scorch marks. Then you can put it in a warmed bun and top it with (as you mentioned) some good german-style mustard, some grilled onions, or whatever else your heart desires.


Hey Sean,

Totally agree with you, would rather have yours. In fact, this is how I make mine. Simmer in beer that has butter, onion and then grill. Completely agree.
This isn't traditional for Germans though. My mother's side of the family is a traditional German family traced back over hundreds of years. My family's name is Kramer. Simple, traditional German food is my tradition. My father's side of the family is Ofenhaus, another damned traditional German family and it's the same damned thing. But what do hundreds of years of family tradtion mean? It's only one flavor. One part of the country does one thing and another does something competely different.
When I go back to Kansas and visit? Cherry pies and wonderful things to enjoy. It's all about family and good things to eat.

Cheers.
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

....... This isn't traditional for Germans though.

ah, that rather depends on where in Germany one records "tradition"
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DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dilbert wrote:
....... This isn't traditional for Germans though.

ah, that rather depends on where in Germany one records "tradition"


True, probably varies as much as the beer does, from town to town.
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kgb1001001



Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 108

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:20 pm    Post subject: One more trick for brats Reply with quote

One final hint for brats -- when you grill or fry them they tend to curl up, which makes them look pretty but also makes it difficult to fit them on a bun. So after boiling, stick a bamboo skewer through them lengthwise and grill or fry. Keeps them perfectly straight and bun-friendly. (Remove before eating, of course!)
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Guest






PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:12 pm    Post subject: Toaster Oven Reply with quote

I throw it in my toaster oven until the casing splits- ~ 25 min.

The 'snap' comes from a good natural casing.
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ABlindHog
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I gently boil them in a saute pan with just enough liquid to cover them.
You can use beer, wine ,or water with a little vinegar in it.
As they boil they release juices and a little fat into the water.
Boil the liquid completely away then continue to gently saute them in their own fat to get the color and texture you want.
Occasionally you will need to add a little butter if your brats are to lean.
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Pit Hinder



Joined: 28 Sep 2011
Posts: 2
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I have no idea what gets sold as "bratwurst" 6K miles from Germany.
Bratwurst translates as sausage you have to fry, and it has a different stuffing from the wurst you warm in water and put into a hot dog.
Just throw it on the grill or into a frying pan - guten Appetit!

Goes very well with traditional potato salad (my clan´s mayonnaise receipe available if needed) and lots of mustard.
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HempRep



Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

this is great for my next project thanks! Laughing Out Loud
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gudarey



Joined: 16 Apr 2012
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:16 am    Post subject: wow!! Reply with quote

oh that's nice... thanks!! Teasing
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Jim Cooley



Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Posts: 377
Location: Seattle

PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gee, aint that SEARCH function amazing? I bought some terribly fatty bratwurst from Safeway and am looking for tips to de-fat them.

I normally use a bamboo skewer and just bake at 400° for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

DO you think boiling them first will get rid of some of the fat? Is 5 minutes enough?

Any other tips aside from never buy Safeway bratwurst again?

Since these are barely edible to begin with and I don't have a dog, I'm open to anything. Slice them and use for spaghetti sauce? Microwave them to nothingness?
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would slice it in half longwise then bake/roast at 275-300'F

the long slice will hopefully let the fat run out as it melts . . .
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