The German roots run deep in this dish, but you don’t have to wait for Octoberfest to enjoy it. The next time you are hosting a group of people and want to keep it simple and casual, this is a great one to pull out. Everything can be done ahead of time so no one will see you sweating it in the kitchen, but you will still impress everyone with the fact that you made Bratwursts from scratch.
If making Bratwursts from scratch is not something you are willing to bite off, fear not. Lots of great options out there for off the shelf raw bratwursts.
Although these bratwursts were served as a sandwich with the broth to dip it into, they can be served any way you want. This recipe serves 6-8 people.
Ingredients:
Sausage:
3½ Pounds Boneless pork butt
6 Oz Bacon, get the best you can afford
4½ Tsp Salt
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tsp Sugar
3 Tsp Coriander, crushed
1 Tsp Black pepper, crushed
2½ Tsp Caraway seed, crushed
¼ Cup Beer
Pork Sausage casings. You can find these at a local butcher shop or online.
Beer and Onion Broth:
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Onions, sliced into crescents
8 Cloves Garlic
2 Cup Beer, choose something light on hops
2 Cup Beef stock
2 Tsp Salt
Pepper to taste
Pretzel buns
Grainy Dijon Mustard
Sauerkraut
Beers
1 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
Steps:
Sausage:
1. Dice the pork butt and bacon, lay them out on a tray and freeze for 45 minutes. This helps to ensure a good grind.
2. Rinse the casings under cold water to remove any salt.
3. Grind the pork butt and bacon through a coarse grinder plate.
4. Mix in the seasoning followed by the beer.
5. Using your hands, mix the sausage for 2 minutes or until it becomes very tacky and sticks to your hand.
6. Fry a small amount of sausage and adjust the seasoning as needed.
7. Stuff the sausage mix into the casings using a sausage stuffer. Alternatively, it can be done with a sturdy piping bag with a large opening and a helper.
8. Sear the outside of the sausages in a pan until they are golden brown but still raw inside.
9. Set aside sausage and create the beer and onion broth.
Beer and Onion Broth:
1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium high heat and add the onions.
2. Sauté the onions until the edges are brown but the onions still have some texture, approximately 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook until it just begins to turn color.
4. Deglaze the pan with beer and the beef stock and reduce by half.
5. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning.
6. Transfer the sausages to the Beer and Onion broth and simmer to finish cooking.
7. Serve the broth alongside the sausage as an option to dip in.
