I want to do brats for the 4th

[Non Sequitur]

What is everyone's favorite way of doing brats?

[Paperback Writer]

I usually just grill. Once on a camp out with scouts, I was in charge of dinner for the adult leaders. The scouts had planned hot dogs and the SM suggested the adult patrol do the same. But I couldn't bring myself to partake of another meal of hot dogs so I bought some packages of brats instead. And we used metal skewers to cook them over an open fire. It tasted better than grilling. One of my sons and his friend talked me out of the last couple of brats...and their eyes were opened and they saw another dimension of sausage products.

On the next campout, the scouts put brats on the menu and it has become a troop favorite.

On a personal historical note, I had an improverished upbringing when it came to sausage products. I only knew of the chepest brands of hot dogs and linked sausage. It wan't until my college years when I visited a friend in Milwaukee that I was introduced to bratwurst at the old County ballpark. Yum.

[Eddie]

I usually just grill too.

I had a friend who insisted they were best if boiled in beer and then grilled. He decided he was going to cook for a group of us once - though there were enough LDS folks there that he used apple beer or something to boil before grilling rather than actual beer.

The brauts were OK. But I didn't think they were anything special (meaning, I don't recall them tasting any different than when I just throw them on the grill.) Maybe they would've been better with real beer? No idea.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Boil them in a local beer until they are grey, then grill until a nice char on both sides. ldc's Wisconian heritage says this is the true and living preparation.

[Non Sequitur]

Boil them in a local beer until they are grey, then grill until a nice char on both sides. ldc's Wisconian heritage says this is the true and living preparation.

I'm leaning towards the crock pot with beer, onions, dijon and sauerkraut for a few hours before grilling.

[kccougar]

I cooked brats for Memorial Day:

Today I did bratwurst. Started out by simmering on the smoker for about 45 minutes or so with a sweet onion in apple cider and a dusting of pork rub. Then finished on the grill. Meanwhile, I took the onion that had soaked in the apple cider and then sauted in a pan with butter. Best brat I've ever had.

[Clark Addison]

I think the beer prep is supposed to not only add flavor, but also help prevent splittage.

I would be careful with the crock pot. My limited experience is that a long slow cooking has a derogatory effect on texture (too mushy).

[Coach McGuirk]

Boil them in a local beer until they are grey, then grill until a nice char on both sides. ldc's Wisconian heritage says this is the true and living preparation.

This.

[Drunk Tank]

I simmer the brats in beer with onions and sometimes peppers until grey, like HFN, then onto the grill for color and then back into the beer/onions until served. Toast the bun and serve with a nice grainy mustard.