Sunday, May 31, 2009

A brat (or hamburger or hot dog) Hot Tub

So, last night, my family and I went to a barbecue. Near the grill was the man of the house - and his father-in-law. I love both men dearly, but by the end of the evening, they hated each other. Turn the heat up, down, move the burgers over, back ARGH!

The solution: Cook the meat before your guests arrive and hold them in a brat hot tub! That way, you get to socialize with your guests, and they don't end up smelling like smoke in the process.

12 freshly grilled brats (or burgers, or hot dogs or a combination thereof)
1 stick butter
1 onion, sliced
2.5 cans of beer (I prefer High Life)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they caramelize - turning lightly brown.

Add the onions to the bottom of a slow cooker. Switch the slow cooker on to low. Add brats to the slow cooker, then add enough beer to just cover.

If you're planning to serve buffet style, put the slow cooker where you are planning to serve your meat. Your guests can serve themselves from the hot tub.

Obviously, this recipe can be easily scaled. I've fed 100 people using this method.

And yes, Minnesotans, this is SO a Wisconsin thing.

1 comment:

  1. Yes, def a Wisconsin thing, but also, please for all that is good in the world, parboil your brats in beer and onions before grilling. Makes a world of difference. The recipe above makes a perfect base. Just add water to top of brats and cook (boil) til they float. Grill (watch out they will flame up easy) and the return to solution.

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