Town Talk Diner Brat Burger Recipes

MANGALITSA BRAT BURGER

Steps:

• For the brat seasoning: Stir together the garlic, salt, red pepper flakes if using, white pepper, marjoram, allspice, mace, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl.
• For the pork: Preheat a grill to medium heat.
• Add the ground pork and 2 tablespoons cold water to the bowl with the brat seasoning. Mix together until well blended. Form into 6 patties. Grill for 5 minutes on each side.
• For the spread: Combine the honey, mayonnaise, cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until smooth.
• To assemble the sandwich: Place the patties on the buns, top with some cabbage and onions, and then smother with some of the spread.

BRATWURST BURGERS WITH BRAISED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in beer. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and liquid is almost evaporated, 15-20 minutes. Remove and keep warm., In a small bowl, combine beef and bratwurst, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four 3/4-in.-thick patties., In a shallow bowl, mix egg and milk. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip patties in egg mixture, then roll in crumb mixture to coat., In the same skillet over medium heat, cook burgers until a thermometer reads 160° for medium doneness and juices run clear, 3-4 minutes on each side; top with cheese during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Serve burgers on buns with mustard and onion mixture.

TOWN TALK DINER - BRAT BURGER

Steps:

• Combine all the spice mix ingredients.
• To make the burgers: Toss the pork shoulder and fat back with the salt and the spice mix and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grind through the coarse die of a grinder and form into four 8-ounce patties.
• To make the spicy kraut: Soak the store-bought kraut in water for 20 minutes, drain excess water. Render the bacon; add the onion and saute until translucent. Add white wine and cook off the alcohol. Add sauerkraut and spices and enough water to cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Cool. Mix in garlic-chili paste.
• To assemble: Cook burger patties until medium-well. Melt 2 slices of cheeses on top of each patty. Place on toasted bun and top with spicy kraut.

PACKER BRATS

Steps:

• Pierce the brat casing multiple times with a fork prior to boiling.
• In a large pasta pot, add beer. Add onion and garlic. Bring to a boil. Add brats. Allow beer to come back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat.
• Remove brats from beer, pat dry and grill, turning frequently, until brats are browned all over, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• To serve brats "Classic Style", serve 2 brats each on round, hard rolls with Buttered Kraut and brown mustard.
• To serve brats "Stadium Style", serve 1 brat on a brat or hoagie pun with ketchup, mustard, onion and Buttered Kraut.
• Place sauerkraut in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat (this can also be done in a saucepan on the grill while grilling the brats). Add beer and cook until liquid is almost completely reduced. Add butter, cook, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and absorbs into the kraut, about 5 to 10 minutes.

GOURMET DINER BURGERS

Steps:

• For the pickles: Place the zucchini slices and oregano in a large jar or heat-safe container. Heat the apple cider vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes and bay leaf in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour the pickling liquid and spices into the jar. Let cool completely, uncovered. Place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and store for up to 6 weeks.
• For the frico: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Toss the Parmesan, flour and pepper together in a large bowl, making sure the flour is evenly distributed throughout the cheese. Arrange mounds of 2 tablespoons of cheese 4 inches apart on the baking sheet and flatten each mound slightly with a spatula to form a 3-inch round. Bake the frico in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Cool the frico on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the mayo: In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
• For the patties: In a large bowl, combine the beef, lamb, salt and pepper. Form the mixture into six 4-inch-diameter patties, each about 1/2-inch thick. Drizzle the patties with olive oil. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the patties until they are grill marked and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Allow the patties to rest for 5 minutes.
• For the burgers: Drizzle the cut side of the ciabatta rolls with olive oil and grill lightly until toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spread the garlic mayo over the bottom halves of the grilled bread. Place the burger patties on the bread and top each patty with 2 tomato slices, 4 pickle slices and 1 frico round.

PARTY IN YOUR MOUTH BRAT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until slightly crisped, then remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the bratwurst to the pan and cook until deep brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes total. Keep the bratwurst in the pan over low heat.
• Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Slice the bun along the top and open like a book. Brush the inside with the butter and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cook the bun in the pan face-down until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Set aside. Add the bacon to the same nonstick pan, top with the Cheddar and cover with a lid until melted, about 1 minute.
• Microwave the peanut butter in a small heatproof bowl until warm enough to pour. Microwave the mango salsa in a small heatproof bowl until just warmed through.
• To serve: Place the bratwurst inside the toasted bun, followed by half of the mango salsa and half of the peanut butter. Top with the melted cheddar and bacon and the remaining mango salsa and peanut butter.

BRAT BURGERS WITH STOUT AIOLI AND CORN RELISH

Steps:

• Make the stout aioli: Combine the stout, honey, brown sugar, ancho chile and dried cherries in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 15 minutes. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cherries. Let cool, then combine 1/4 cup of the liquid with the mayonnaise and refrigerate until ready to use. (Save the remaining liquid; it's a great glaze for grilled meat.)
• Make the pickled red onion: Combine the malt vinegar, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, then let cool 10 minutes. Place the red onion in a small bowl and pour the vinegar mixture on top; cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the corn relish: Preheat a grill to medium high. Brush the corn and poblano with olive oil; grill, turning occasionally, until charred. Slice off the corn kernels; seed and chop the poblano. Combine the corn, poblano, tomato and cilantro in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Make the burgers: Toast the coriander seeds and mustard seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Crush the seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle and combine with the ground chile, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Chop the reserved cherries from the stout aioli. Combine the ground beef, bratwurst, 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mixture and the cherries in a large bowl with your hands. Form the mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Brush the burgers with vegetable oil. Sprinkle both sides with the remaining seasoning mixture.
• Grill the burgers until slightly charred on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill about 4 more minutes for medium. Top with the cheese; cover and cook until melted, about 1 minute. Spread the stout aioli on the top and bottom buns. Sandwich with the burgers, corn relish and pickled red onion.