“Pecan Smoked then Grilled Beer Brats” is a great gameday appetizer. Serve with our smoked chicken wings (see recipe) and you are sure to have some happy people around you.
In the rustic outdoor kitchens of the Midwest, where culinary traditions are woven into the fabric of daily life, the journey of crafting Pecan Smoked then Grilled Beer Brats begins with a ritual of preparation. With practiced hands, the cook embarks on a symphony of chopping and peeling, transforming raw ingredients into the building blocks of flavor. The golden-hued onions, their tops and bottoms expertly excised, reveal layers waiting to add sweetness. Jalapeno peppers surrender their stems to the cook's knife, their fiery essence soon to be tamed. Garlic, its paper-thin skin relinquished, stands ready to infuse the dish with its aromatic charm. Roma tomatoes, their tops and bottoms removed, promise a burst of acidity and richness. These carefully prepped vegetables, now harmoniously united in a medium pot, eagerly await their immersion in the alchemy of beer, leaving ample space for the impending stars of the show – the bratwurst.
As the kitchen prelude concludes, the culinary journey continues outdoors, where charcoal ignites, and pecan wood imparts its distinctive aroma. The grill, a portal to smoky enchantment, reaches a gentle 225 degrees, setting the stage for the transformation of bratwurst. Simultaneously, in the kitchen, a pot brims with anticipation, beer-infused vegetables boiling to perfection. After a brief culinary dalliance of 2-3 minutes, the brats emerge, the vegetables sacrificed for the greater flavor good.
The brats, now imbued with the essence of beer and vegetables, embark on a pecan-smoked voyage. Thirty minutes on the smoker weave a tapestry of smokiness around the sausages, infusing them with layers of flavor that echo the heart of the Midwest. The grill, elevated to 375 degrees, becomes the final stage for the brats' culinary performance. Here, they dance over the flames, acquiring grill marks that signify a union of flavors and textures. The cook, vigilant to preserve the precious casings, ensures they don't succumb to the sizzling heat.
As the sausages gracefully exit the grill, the crescendo of their journey is marked by a delicate wrap in butcher paper. This interlude, a moment of repose, allows the flavors to harmonize and intensify. The wait, a mere 10-15 minutes, transforms the Pecan Smoked then Grilled Beer Brats into a culinary masterpiece. The final act unfolds, revealing brats that are not merely sausages but a celebration of meticulous preparation, mindful smoking, and the alchemy of the grill – a symphony of flavors that captures the very essence of Midwest culinary prowess.
RECIPE
Prep – 10 min
Cooking Time – 1 hour
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2-3 packages of Johnsonville brats (usually 5 to a pack)
2 large yellow onions
3 roma tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers 2 heads of garlic
1 jar spicy brown mustard
1 bottle of KC Masterpiece Honey Smoke BBQ sauce
3-4 cans of Shiner Bock beer
Lump charcoal Pecan wood chunks
Instructions
1. Prep
Chop off the top and bottom of the yellow onions, peel off the outer layer then cut in half. Cut off the stem of the jalapeno peppers and discard. Peel and chop the bottom of the garlic, leaving it attached to the top and peel the skin. Cut the top and bottom off the roma tomatoes. Place all veggies in a medium pot and add beer leaving enough room for sausages to cook.
3. Cooking instructions
Light charcoal, add pecan wood and bring grill to 225 degrees. Then in your kitchen, bring to a pot to a boil, add brats and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove brats and discard everything else. Place brats on your smoker for 30 minutes then remove and raise the grill to 375 degrees. Put brats back on the grill long enough to get grill marks on all sides. Be careful and don’t let the casings burst. They are holding in all that flavor! If the sausages begin to “shake”, it is time to take them off the pit. After removing sausages, wrap in butcher paper and let sit 10-15 minutes.
4. Plate
Slice brats and serve with some spicy brown mustard and BBQ sauce!