— We are in the middle of summer, and nothing screams warm weather grilling more than the scent of tasty bratwurst grilling away over charcoal or gas. (Preferably charcoal)

Most cooks just throw the brat on the grill straight from the package, which is fine if you like exploding, dry brats. By following the simple steps below, you will find yourself the king or queen of the brats in your neighborhood.

But first, a little history on the bratwurst. 

Bratwurst originated in Germany, and can be made with chopped pork, beef or veal. Spices used in the creation of a traditional bratwurst can include marjoram, nutmeg, celery seeds, pepper, ginger and other regional ingredients. The ground meat concoction is forced into a casing, which if authentic, is the intestine of an animal. Sorry, I just report the facts.

The first written mention of bratwurst dates back to the year 1404. Bratwurst are especially a regional favorite in the state of Wisconsin. Why? Because Wisconsin seems to be a location where a bunch of Germans immigrants migrated to when they came to America in the 1800s. Which got me thinking — who was the immigrant who picked Wisconsin and started that trend? Why not Florida?

I guess they wanted cold weather. Anyway, I have been to Wisconsin and I totally appreciate how they prepare their brats. The method I cover here is their traditional way of preparing the perfect beer brat.

You boil, then grill, then enjoy, but there is one closely held secret.



Bratwurst preparation

This “secret” is unbelievably important. Take your brats and pierce them with a fork three times on both sides before doing anything. Why? Because you don’t want your Bratwurst to blow up while you are cooking it. You’ve seen that before — quite gross. The holes allow steam to escape while the temperature rises, keeping the casings intact and from rupturing. The end product will be worthy of a Food Channel photo shoot.

You can visit www.newsandtribune.com or www.bbqmyway.com to view our instructional video on how to properly prepare these beer brats.

Prepare your liquid to boil your brats by combining 1⁄2 part water and 1⁄2 part Pilsner beer in a large pot. You want to cover the brats entirely with an inch or so to spare. You also will add a couple of sliced sweet onions to this mixture. Bring the brats and onions to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover for 15 minutes and allow the brats to cook in a slow boil.

In the meantime, you should have started your charcoal grill or fired up your gas grill. Once the brats are cooked, remove them and place them on a plate. Pull out the onions and place them in another bowl.

Take the brats to the grill and cook them over medium heat. Remember, these brats are cooked, so the significance of this step is to add texture and a smoky flavor.

Once they are nice and brown, pull them off the grill. Some people take the cooked onions and sauté them over the grill in a grilling pan to bring out the carmelization.

Bring in the brats, place on a bun and load with the onions. Mustard is considered the authentic condiment to use on your brat, but having brought you this far, I will let you choose the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!



A great side dish for beer bratwurst

This is a potato salad that is traditional with a kick of bacon ... and what isn’t good with bacon?

The potatoes used are “new potatoes.” Those are the small red ones where the skin is thin and doesn’t need to be peeled. You can visit www.newsandtribune.com for our instructional video on making this great potato salad.

The key is to properly boil the potatoes. Place the potatoes — about 12 to 15 of them — in a pot of COLD water, making sure the water fully covers the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and set of a medium-high heat until the water comes to a boil.

Then, turn the heat to a simmer and cover until the potatoes are fork tender, (10 to 15 minutes.)

Why start with cold water you may ask? Because the potato cooks more consistently. If you throw these potatoes into boiling water the outer areas of the potato will be cooked while the inner part is undercooked.

Drain and quarter the potatoes after they have cooled. Add four boiled eggs that have been coarsely chopped.

Mix the following ingredients and add to the quartered potatoes and eggs.

• 2 stalks of celery, chopped

• 1⁄2 a large onion, finely minced or grated

• 1 1⁄2 cups of mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup of sour cream

• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Carefully fold into the potatoes and eggs.

• Finally, sprinkle fresh parsley and five crumbled slices of crisp bacon.

Visit Dave’s website at www.BBQMyWay.com to ask him any questions you might have about today’s column, or to ask a question that he could use as future column topics. You can also join his monthly BBQ newsletter called “The BBQ Gazette” while visiting his site.