Recipes

Beer Brats with Sauerkraut, Onions, and Jalapeños

Preparation & Cooking Time:
Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) lager
  • Dijon or spicy brown mustard
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 medium yellow onions, each cut in half and thinly sliced
  • 6 fresh bratwurst
  • 1 jar or bag (1 pound) sauerkraut, drained
  • 2 jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
  • 6 brat or torpedo rolls, split

Method

  1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

  2. Whisk the lager, 2 tablespoons mustard, brown sugar, and coriander.

  3. In a large disposable foil pan arrange the onions in an even layer. Add the bratwurst and pour the beer mixture over the top. Place the pan over direct medium heat, close the lid,and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmerfor about 20 minutes, turning the brats two or three times. Add the sauerkraut and jalapeños to the pan, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more.

  4. Transfer the bratwurst from the pan to the cooking grates and grill over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until browned and fully cooked (160°F), 2 to 3 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, toast the rolls, cut side down, over direct heat.

  5. Place each brat in a roll and top with mustard and the sauerkraut mixture. Serve warm.


Notes

Backwards! You have stumbled upon the great beer brat debate! There are many who advocate the method you used, but there are many others, like me, who think you did it backwards. First you should grill the brat, and then you give it the beer bath. I've had them both ways, and they're both good, but I think doing the beer bath last gives them the most flavor. Why? Well the way the cheese heads explain it to me is, first you grill them to get rid of some of the fat, and then the beer is soaked in, replacing the areas voided by the fat. I have no idea if that's true, but I do know that the brats plump up nicely using this method, and they taste wonderful.