Recipe: Brats "Slow and Low"

Slow and low.   

It sounds like an R&B mantra.    It sounds like a Midwestern life-lesson.   However, when occasionally asked for cooking advice, it’s usually my response.    

Low and slow is the recipe for braising dishes, with high amounts of liquid and low heat.    This cooking method allows proteins to break down their connective tissues, while allowing them to keep their delicious (and necessary) fat content in the meat.    This renders the meat succulent and juicy.    

Slow and low is the name of the game when it comes to grilling brats.   It should be noted, that grills aren’t normally associated with the “slow and low” philosophy.    Usually, I like my grill to be screaming hot to sear the protein or vegetables, perfume them with char and smoke and then controlled to finish the cooking process.    Cooking a brat correctly requires a different technique altogether.

First, make sure your brats (if frozen) are thawed.  Not “unthawed”. Light your charcoal or wood grill and allow the coals to become ashy and almost white.    It should be noted that this is a perfect time to drink a beer or two while waiting for the fire to cool itself.   A good way to test if the coals are right is placing one’s hand over the fire to see how long you can withstand the heat- with the understanding that if you drank too many beers, you may fool yourself into thinking that your hands are fire-proof.   Rest assured, they are not.   

Once you can comfortably hold your hand 4” above the grilling surface for 5 seconds without singeing your hair off, the grill is ready!   Place sausages on the surface and allow them to cook SLOWLY. Also, be mindful of the number of times you handle the bratwurst while they cook, as too much movement causes the skin to burst and results in the juices leaking in the fire.  This leakage causes flare ups, and while dramatic for dining guests, raises the temperature of the grill and causes your other brats to explode as well. (There is nothing quite as humbling as sitting down for a meal of brats that exploded under your watch.   The shame is overwhelming.)

Carefully rotate the bratwurst around the grill, ensuring that you can see the juices moving inside the casing.   Allow the sausage to rest for at least 5 minutes. Failure to do so, will not only cause you to burn your face with the searing meat juices, but you’re denying the sausage a few minutes to internally regulate temperature and finish cooking.  

For the best brats in the world, check out Miesfelds.com.    I’m a huge fan of the “Grand Champion” brat that made them famous!    

For hard roll and bun preferences, stay tuned to Wisconsin Foodie to see where we go next! 

On, Wisconsin- forever!

  Chef Luke Zahm