Bringing Back the Classics: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Beer Bratwursts

In Part 7 of the Tailgating For Everyone series, your friendly pitmaster cooks brats on the PK. 

During the course of this series, I'll be the first to admit that my ambitions don't always match up with our bank accounts or family's culinary needs and Costco might eff around and get me in some real trouble (but it's so cool, y'all) by bringing wagyu beef home or the planned bison hot dogs recipe fortunately aborted by my local store not carrying them in stock. I know, it's 2021; I could have simply ordered them online or chopped it up with the nice folks at Breitweisers in Benton but alas, that didn't happen. Snagging those dogs would have made backyard barbecue - and in this context, tailgate party food - too bougie for regular brothers like me. Remember, barbecue is for a good time not a contest to see who can cook the priciest foods. I'm more impressed by excellent food than expensive food but I'm just a workaholic with a careful eye on our budget. 

Now back to the classics.

INGREDIENTS 

Beer brats

Hot dog buns

Spicy brown mustard (regular mustard or Dub Shack BBQ's The Ancestors sauce are also popular)

One onion

One stick of butter

One beer to cover up everything in the pan

Optional:  bell peppers

Fire Society's Holy Garlic rub

Killer Hogs' The BBQ Rub

Disposable aluminum pan

STEP ONE. Slice the onions (or peppers - I had both) and set them in the bottom of the pan. To save time, I melted the butter and poured it into the pan but it can go onto the hot grill cooking until it is sauteed. Add Holy Garlic and The BBQ Rub to the vegetables and set aside.

STEP TWO. If you haven't already lit your grill, what are you waiting for? This is one of the very rare times I won't use a wood chunk for smoking flavor as that bag of lump charcoal does a fine job of getting hot but if you choose to, a couple of cherrywood chunks will give the color best associated with great barbecue. Get the grill to at least 350 degrees before bringing out the brats.

STEP THREE. On top of the onions and peppers, add the brats and beer making sure you cover it all with the beer. Whether or not you drink the rest of the beer is your prerogative; the name of the game is infusing the beer flavor in the protein. Close the grill and walk away for a bit until the sausages reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.

Sidebar 👉🏿 In the meantime, I did a thing: Don't knock pizza dip until you rock it. Da Dips will release separately on Thursdays for the remainder of Henderson State (or Arkansas high school regular season) football.

I put my hand upon a chip

When I dip you dip we dip

STEP FOUR. In the miracle of time, the beer brats have reached 165 degrees and been seared off for those lovely grill marks. Using that beer sauna, take them off the grill and serve immediately! 

Wanna take this classic to a whole new level? Toast the buns. 

Thanks for reading and supporting the movement known as Dub Shack BBQ where every day is a GREAT day for barbecue! Bratwursts are a classic tailgating item that travels so easily and can literally be set up on the tailgate of a pickup - in my case, a weathered Ram quad cab eager to work. As this is homecoming weekend at my alma mater THE Henderson State University, stay safe, enjoy the weekend, be good to each other, and eat something awesome this week!