Chef Juliette
Sandwiches
Five classical fillings between bread buttered to every edge, cut into tidy rectangles and held under a light weight: a French buffet lesson in softness, proportion, and restraint.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Wisconsin Bratwurst with Kraut
Created by
Beer-simmered bratwurst grilled until the casing snaps, nestled in a soft roll with caraway-scented sauerkraut and sharp mustard. This is Wisconsin tailgate tradition perfected for your backyard.
Sandwiches & Wraps
German
Game Day
BBQ
Fourth of July
15 min
Active Time
35 min cook•50 min total
Yield6 servings
The bratwurst belongs to Wisconsin the way the lobster roll belongs to Maine. German immigrants carried the recipe across the Atlantic in the nineteenth century, settling in Milwaukee and Sheboygan and Madison, where they discovered that American lager and football Saturdays suited their sausage traditions perfectly. What emerged is something distinctly American: the brat simmered in beer and onions, then finished over open flame until the casing threatens to burst.
The technique matters here. You poach first, grill second. This isn't hedging your bets. The beer bath ensures the sausage cooks through gently and evenly, absorbing malty sweetness and onion perfume along the way. The grill provides what the bath cannot: caramelization, char, and that satisfying snap when you bite through the casing.
I've eaten these sausages at Lambeau Field in November, hands numb and breath visible, and I've made them in my own backyard in July. The context changes. The satisfaction does not. This is honest food, democratically priced, requiring no special skill beyond attention and a willingness to stand by a hot grill with a cold beer in hand.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh bratwurst sausages
Quantity
6 (about 1 1/2 pounds)
lager beer
Quantity
3 (12-ounce) bottles or cans
yellow onion
Quantity
1 large
sliced into 1/4-inch rings
unsalted butter
Quantity
2 tablespoons
fresh sauerkraut
Quantity
1 pound
drained and rinsed
caraway seeds
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly cracked
vegetable oil
Quantity
1 tablespoon
hoagie rolls or bratwurst buns
Quantity
6
split
spicy brown mustard
Quantity
for serving
sliced onions for topping (optional)
Quantity
as desired
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh bratwurst sausages | 6 (about 1 1/2 pounds) |
| lager beer | 3 (12-ounce) bottles or cans |
| yellow onionsliced into 1/4-inch rings | 1 large |
| unsalted butter | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh sauerkrautdrained and rinsed | 1 pound |
| caraway seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | 1/2 teaspoon |
| vegetable oil | 1 tablespoon |
| hoagie rolls or bratwurst bunssplit | 6 |
| spicy brown mustard | for serving |
| sliced onions for topping (optional) | as desired |
Equipment Needed
- •Large deep skillet or braiser (12-inch)
- •Charcoal or gas grill
- •Long-handled tongs
- •Small saucepan for kraut
Instructions
- 1
Build the beer bath
Melt butter in a large, deep skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add onion rings and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to turn golden at the edges, about eight minutes. The onions should smell sweet and honest, releasing their sugars into the butter.
A disposable aluminum pan works perfectly for tailgate cooking. Set it right on the grill grates. - 2
Add beer and brats
Nestle the bratwurst into the onions and pour the beer over everything. The liquid should nearly cover the sausages. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to maintain lazy bubbles rising every few seconds. Cook for twenty minutes, turning the brats halfway through. They will turn pale gray and plump slightly as the casings tighten.
- 3
Prepare the kraut
While brats simmer, combine sauerkraut, caraway seeds, and black pepper in a small saucepan. Add half a cup of the beer-braising liquid. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and the caraway perfumes the kitchen. Keep warm until serving.
Rinsing bagged sauerkraut removes excess brine and prevents the finished dish from tasting overly sour. Fresh kraut from the refrigerated section needs this step. Jarred kraut labeled 'wine sauerkraut' can go straight to the pan. - 4
Preheat the grill
Heat your grill to medium-high, around 400°F. Clean the grates thoroughly with a wire brush, then oil them by folding a paper towel, dipping it in vegetable oil, and rubbing it across the hot grates using long tongs. This prevents sticking and creates those distinctive char marks.
- 5
Grill to finish
Remove brats from the beer bath, letting excess liquid drip off. Place directly on the hot grill grates. Cook three to four minutes per side, rotating occasionally to develop an even mahogany crust. The casing should snap audibly when you press it with tongs. Listen for that resistance. A properly finished brat fights back.
Never pierce the casing before or during cooking. Those juices you release are flavor you'll never get back. - 6
Toast the rolls
Open the rolls and place them cut-side down on the cooler edge of the grill during the last minute of cooking. Toast until golden with light char marks but still soft enough to yield to the sausage. A roll too crisp becomes a weapon. You want give, not crunch.
- 7
Assemble and serve
Lay each brat in a toasted roll. Top with a generous forkful of warm sauerkraut and a stripe of spicy brown mustard. Add beer-braised onions if you like. Serve immediately with napkins, because there is no dignified way to eat this, nor should there be.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out fresh bratwurst from a butcher or the refrigerated meat case, never the pre-cooked variety. You're paying for convenience you don't need and sacrificing texture you can't replace. Fresh brats have that distinctive snap; pre-cooked ones are merely soft.
- •Wisconsin natives will tell you Johnsonville or Usinger's for store-bought, but any fresh pork bratwurst with visible fat marbling will serve you well. The fat renders during the beer bath and bastes the meat from within.
- •Save the beer-braising liquid with its soft onions. Stored in the refrigerator, it becomes the base for your next batch. Old-timers in Sheboygan maintain beer baths for years, each new batch building on the last.
- •For transporting to a tailgate, simmer the brats at home and transport them in their beer bath in an insulated container. Finish on a portable grill at your destination. The beer keeps them warm and moist for up to two hours.
- •The filling-to-bread ratio demands attention. A proper brat roll is soft enough to compress slightly around the sausage, creating a unified bite. Too much bread overwhelms; too little and you're eating with your hands over a plate.
Advance Preparation
- •Brats can be simmered in the beer bath up to two days ahead and refrigerated in the liquid. Bring to room temperature before grilling, or grill cold and add an extra minute per side.
- •The sauerkraut mixture can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently before serving.
- •For tailgates and cookouts, transport simmered brats in their warm beer bath in an insulated container. They'll hold safely at temperature for two hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 265g)
Calories
600 calories
Total Fat
35 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
20 g
Cholesterol
50 mg
Sodium
645 mg
Total Carbohydrates
30 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
20 g
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