Cooking bratwurst

Ca_rnivore

I'm going to try my hand at homemade bratwurst this weekend. I've got everything I need except the casings. I've made sausage before without the casings, but I have a few questions about doing brats this way. [p]I want to simmer the brats in beer and onions, then grill them and maybe hold them in the liquid until needed. I've been told that this is a "traditional" or at least very common way to cook brats.[p]My question is, if I don't use casings, won't the brats fall apart while simmering? Is there a better way to cook the brats if they're
not stuffed into casings?[p]Thanks,
--Kevin

djm5x9

Ca_rnivore:[p]You need casings to cook sausage like that. Ask around to see if your local meat market has some he can sell you. I like natural casings best. I have grilled sausage patties on a wire grate with success, just don't grill them too hot or they will stick.
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Ca_rnivore

djm5x9,[p]Thanks for the info. It's kinda what I thought. I could pick up some premade brats at my local sausage shop and try the simmer/grill thing with them. [p]I'll look for casings tomorrow. If I can't find any, I'll just make patties with homemade sausage and grill em. I think I'll also saute some onions in beer and butter and use 'em as a topping for the brat patties. [p]So many things to try, I need a 3-day weekend to get them all done. [p]Thanks again,
--Kevin

djm5x9

Ca_rnivore:[p]Mix a small batch keeping track of how much spice you use. Cook a little and adjust from there. There is nothing better than home made sausage as YOU control the results - both fat and flavor. Remember, sausage has to have some fat; lean sausage is not very good. Find a good price on boneless butts and have them ground and you will have a good fat to lean ratio to start experimenting with.
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Stogie

Ca_rnivore,[p]I been cooking brats without casings for over 20 years.[p]You can do 1 of 2 things......form the size link you want and roll in foil or plastic wrap. Then you can boil these so they set.....no the wrap will not melt! Once they are set, then you can freeze for later use or you can then grill them. [p]The other alternative is to wrap in plastic and put in the EGG with a temp UNDER 250º for 30-45 minutes. This will set the sausage so you can either add smoke or simmer and grill, as above. The wrap will krinkle at temps above 265º so be careful. I actually cook them at around 180º for 45 minutes, then add some smoke and finish cooking until the meat is 155º. [p]Now, I much prefer these without smoke, but that is a personal preference.[p]Stogie[p]