Brats | shalimarali

I used to love eating “Fat” hot dogs with my dad! You know, back in the day when the hot dogs were large, hot and juicy. Dad would put mustard, hot sauce and sharp cheddar cheese on them. My dad loved sharp cheddar cheese, so I love it too!

I love the BBQ Italian Sausage at Gates BBQ. But I hardly visit them every other year. My Aunt Forestine used to grill them on her porch and it tasted just like the ones from Gates.

I am going to have one for dinner tomorrow, so I am prepping tonight. I will start the crock pot, right before my shift starts.

Normally, you can cook them in the slow cooker first and finish on the grill. But since I won’t have that much time, I have to do the reverse and grill them in a pan, then put in a slow cooker before I start work.

Glad that I have 3 different size crock pots, for different meals. The “Daddy” bear size 10 Quart AKA The Chili Maker, a Momma bear size 8 Quart and a Baby Bear size 4 Quart. My cat is very sneaky around crock pots. So I put the Baby bear size in my office so she can’t knock it over and try to eat the food.

INGREDIENTS:

Italian Sausage or Bratwurst, 5 or 6
Hoagie Buns, 6, I use Pepperidge Farm Bakery Classics with Sesame seeds
Beer can, 12-16 oz. (and/or use beef broth, if you don’t want to “waste” your beer, LOL
Onions, ½ cup or less (I am using the frozen bag)
Liquid Smoke, ¼ teaspoon
BBQ Sauce, ½ cup more or less, to your taste, I love Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon Legendary Bar-B-Q Sauce
Mustard, Grey Poupon, Country Dijon is my fav
Tasbasco Pepper Jelly (or Hot Sauce or Sriracha)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese, time to pull out the Cracker Barrel Cracker Cuts
Olive Oil

SUGGESTIONS:

Pre-heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet for 2 to 3 minutes. Score-cut each Brat or Sausage
The sausage only needs about 2 minute per side, as they will finish cooking in the crock pot.
Add the onions and Liquid Smoke to the crock pot, then the Brats and BBQ Sauce. Cover with a mixture of Beer and/or Beef Broth so the Brats are well-covered
Cook on low for 4 -5 hours
Toast that bun, slap on some extra BBQ sauce, mustard and pepper jelly. Add Brat and Cheese and enjoy!

Save some beer to drink with your Brat!

Happy Father’s Day

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