World's best brats?

[Ron G.]

I've always liked bratwurst. After reading some of the links I can see that Wisconsinites (is that a word ?) REALLY like bratwurst. If I ever find myself in that neck of the woods, I know what I'm cooking.

Yup!

Brats are to many Wisconsinites what Back-Bacon and Hockey are to you Canucks
(Plus they go-down REALLY swell with a mug or three or four of your favorite suds, which we also are very fond of....)

 

[Ron G.]

Brad Olsen;
Our favorites are the Sheboygan Brats....

It's funny that they would be making SHEBOYGAN brats in Cincy...
(I grew-up about 20 miles North of Sheboygan.)

Sheboygan Sausage Company is somewhat of a "cult favorite" among the Standard, regular-brat (at least, Wisconsin-Style Brat) aficionados.
I believe that they license-out their "secret" blend of spices to other butchers / sausage-makers.

From what I know - your typical Wisconsin-Style Bratwurst has a coarser grind and is more spicy than the European (German) Style - maybe influenced by a mix of the Germans and Poles that settled this part of the state (sort of a combo of a Polish Sausage and a German Bratwurst)?

 

[Andrew F]

...From what I know - your typical Wisconsin-Style Bratwurst has a coarser grind and is more spicy than the European (German) Style - maybe influenced by a mix of the Germans and Poles that settled this part of the state (sort of a combo of a Polish Sausage and a German Bratwurst)?

That seems about right. You also need to cook them correctly - Beer and onion bath followed by a grilling for smoke and browning. Then back into the beer hotub if you need to keep them warm. A hard cider instead of beer works good too.

 

[JRPfeff]

Never a beer bath. It cooks out the flavor and is a waste of beer.

Indirect cook, with direct flame at the very end.

 

[Ron G.]

I tend to agree with JRPfeff above

My uncle made a tripod rig that he uses over a backyard fire-pit (Stainless Roller type thrust Bearing for smooth "spinning" of the grate) hanging from and adjustable chain.
Somewhat like the principle used in some of the inventive German "Schwenker" type grills that I've heard of
He cooks 'em slow over a low bed of hardwood coals - usually over the 4th and I look forward to eating a few done this way greatly when opportunity strikes.

If you're gonna "hot-tub" 'em - then either do a quick par-boil before OR simmer in the been/onions afterward, but certainly NOT BOTH (unless you don't like Brat Flavor...)

 

[Brad Olson]

Thanks, everybody! Dale, if I get the chance I'll try to check out Holzman's; looks like a neat place and it helps that it's right off 275. It's going to be a busy weekend.

JRP, I don't remember much about that day (except having to cast the deciding vote) but I'm pretty sure none of the brats we tasted were as peppery as Trig's. Wow, has it really been 8 years?

I generally cook mine over a low direct fire. We tailgate at Miller Park with a Go-Anywhere and people around us occasionally seem surprised that I only use 10-12 briquettes...hey, I'm grilling bratwurst not smelting iron ore!

Ron, pay close attention to those Sheboygan Sausage products. I've noticed that sometimes the address on the back label is in Minnesota...

 

[Jim Lampe]

The World Best Bratwurst arrived this past Tuesday
planning on grilling them tomorrow

by the way, their jerky is pretty dang good!