Beer Bratwurst With Caramelized Sauerkraut Recipes

GRILLED BEER BRATS AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Prepare grill, either gas or charcoal. If charcoal, set up coals to one side.
• Melt 1 stick of butter in a disposable aluminum pan (at least 2 quart capacity, preferably 10-by-13-by-3 inch). Add beer, onions, peppers and sauerkraut; mix well. Place the pan on the cool side of grill.
• Place the brats on grill and sear on all sides, being careful not to pierce the casings. When they're seared and have good grill marks, transfer to sauerkraut mixture in aluminum pan; nestling each brat down into mixture and covering with the sauerkraut.
• Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, close lid, and cook for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove from grill and serve: either plated or on buns, with mustard and sauerkraut piled on. Enjoy!

BEER GLAZED BRATS AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Crush celery seeds and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle until ground; set aside.
• Place bratwursts into a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Mix beer, brown sugar, dry mustard, onion powder, black pepper, dill weed, and crushed celery and caraway seeds in a bowl, stirring to dissolve brown sugar; pour over the brats. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Uncover and raise heat to medium; boil the sauce until it reduces to a thick, syrupy liquid, about 20 minutes. Tilt skillet to roll brats in the sticky sauce until thoroughly coated. Transfer sausage to a platter and keep warm. Cook and stir sauerkraut in the same skillet to mix in any leftover sauce, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer sauerkraut to a serving platter and top with cooked bratwurst.

BAKED BRATS IN CARAMELIZED SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Brush the brats lightly with olive oil.
• Brown them in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side, until they take on some nice color. Note: I do this right in the same pan I'm going to bake in, so make sure it can accommodate everything, and is oven safe. A 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet or grill pan works perfectly, I use this one.
• Remove the brats to a plate and set aside. Add the onions and apples to the same pan and saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Stir in the brown sugar.
• Add the spices and continue to cook, stirring often, for 2 more minutes.
• Add the sauerkraut and cider to the pan and mix well. Make sure to get all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, that's great flavor!
• Bring the pan up to a boil, then add the brats to the pan and nestle them deep down into the kraut so they will braise in the oven.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, just until the brats are cooked through (internal temperature should be 160F) and the sauerkraut is nice and caramelized. Note: Give the sauerkrat a stir once or twice during cooking to redistribute the juices.
• Serve immediately, with plenty of grainy Dijon mustard.

BRATWURST STEWED WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• In a large pan, heat oil over high heat. Brown bratwurst in oil and reduce heat to medium. Add onions and garlic and cook until lightly caramelized. Add stock, paprika, caraway seeds, and sauerkraut and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh dill. Serve on baguette.

BEER-BRAISED BRATWURST & ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet or nonstick pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bratwurst and sear until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the sausage to a plate; set aside. Add the onions and salt to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes (do not burn; reduce the heat if necessary).
• Place the bratwurst back in the pan on top of the onions, add the beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid, and simmer for 10 minutes (at this point the sausages will be partially cooked through). Remove the cover, increase the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the bratwurst are cooked through and the beer is reduced by about three quarters, 10 to 12 minutes more. Serve the bratwurst and onions on rolls with mustard and sauerkraut, if desired.
• Note: I use Johnsonville Original Brats; avoid any brats already flavored with beer, as the finished dish will taste too bitter. Also be sure to purchase fresh (not cooked) sausages.
• Note: Lager is a family of beers that includes bright lagers, amber lagers, dark lagers, Oktoberfests, and pilsners. I use Sam Adams Oktoberfest, but Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite are all good options. No need to use anything fancy!
• Note: The nutritional information does not include the optional serving ingredients.

BEER-SIMMERED BRATWURST WITH ONIONS AND RED CABBAGE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to high. Arrange the onion slices and garlic along the bottom of a medium stockpot. Place the bratwurst on top and then add the beer, water, coriander, caraway, mustard seeds, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over the grill grates or on a burner. Simmer the sausages in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the bratwurst sit in the liquid for 10 minutes.
• Remove the sausages with a pair of tongs onto a platter. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Grill the sausages until the casings are crisp and golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve the bratwurst on the buns with the onions, mustard and sauerkraut, if desired. Garnish with pickles, pickled beets, and pickled eggs, if desired.
• Preheat grill to high. In a medium saucepan, combine the oil, vinegar, water, and sugar over medium heat, and cook until the sugar has melted. Add the mustard seeds, garlic, and cabbage, and cook until the cabbage is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

BEER-BRAISED SAUSAGES AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a large bowl soak sauerkraut in cold water to cover 20 minutes, changing water once halfway through soaking.
• While sauerkraut is soaking, in a large heavy skillet cook bacon pieces over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons drippings and add onions to bacon. Cook mixture, stirring, until onions are softened.
• Drain sauerkraut well in a colander, pressing out excess liquid, and in a large flameproof roasting pan combine with bacon mixture, carrots, beer, broth, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns. Bring sauerkraut mixture to a boil on top of stove and boil 1 minute. Cover pan tightly with foil and braise in middle of oven 4 hours. Sauerkraut may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, cooled, uncovered, and chilled, covered with plastic wrap. Reheat sauerkraut before proceeding.
• If desired, in a heavy skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and in batches brown sausages. Add sausages and pork loin to sauerkraut, partially submerging them. Braise sausages and sauerkraut, covered tightly with foil, in middle of oven 30 minutes and transfer with a slotted spoon to a heated platter, discarding bay leaves if desired. (Do not eat bay leaves if leaving as garnish.)

BEER BRAISED BRATWURST WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• In a saucepan, simmer bratwurst in beer and chicken broth for about 10 minutes; reserve both liquid and sausages, separately.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 6 minutes; transfer bacon pieces to a plate.
• Add onions to bacon drippings and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add reserved liquid from bratwurst and cook, over medium high heat, until mostly evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Add the sauerkraut, carrots, bacon, and bratwurst, cover and heat through; stir in apples and serve.