Growing up in northern Illinois, near the Wisconsin boarder, eating bratwurst was a normal part of life. I have definitely eaten my fair share at Murphy’s Bleachers prior to Cubs games. When I first relocated to the Boston area, finding a bratwurst was nearly impossible. Luckily times have changed and you can get bratwurst at most grocery stores around the country. These grilled hot tub beer brats are my favorite.
Now there are several ways to prepare a brat, but my go to method is the hot tub method. Just like it sounds, you create a beer “hot tub” as part of the cooking process and the grill as the other part.
There are 2 competing theories on the hot tub method, do you hot tub before or after grilling. I am in the hot tub first, grilling second camp.
First, let’s discuss the beer. I am going to keep this simple, you want a flavorful beer that you would drink. When its available, I go for an Octoberfest Ale, in the summer a seasonal ale works great also. The idea here is that you want some flavor. I have tried one of those popular light beers and let’s just say, not a good idea.
Gilled Hot Tub Beer Brats-Instructions:
Time to hit the hot tub. This can be done on the stove or if you have ever wanted to use that side burner on your gas grill, fire it up. I put in one beer and about the same amount of water. Now, this is key, bring the pot up to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and then put the brats in. You do not want to boil the brats period. You are going to simmer these for 15-20 minutes.
Time to hit the grill. I mostly use a gas grill, but any grill will work. With a gas grill on low, lay out the brats. The goal here is to develop a nice char and really get that grilled flavor. This takes about 10 minutes turning a couple of times, just get them how you like them.
Now, let’s talk about eating them. I always go for the caramelized onions, these just add a nice touch of sweetness than makes everything happy in your mouth. You could also add some mustard if so inclined. Not the yellow kind, has to be deli style or a stone ground type mustard. If you are thinking about ketchup stop, no no no, that will get you 2 minutes in the penalty box at our house.
Now sit back and enjoy these flavorful easy to make grilled hot tub beer brats. You may also want to add my spice rubbed chicken wings to the menu.
Grilled Hot Tub Beer Brats
Equipment
- Grill
- Beer
Ingredients
- 1 Bottle Beer (Seasonal Ale)
- 5 Bratwursts
Instructions
- Pour 1 bottle of beer and equal amount of water into a pot
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add in Bratwurst
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes
- Grill for 10 minutes until desired char is developed
- Add caramelized onions or mustard and enjoy
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