Dan65802 wrote:I love brats, but please explain the "Sheboygan-style" and "double brats".
A "double brat" is the way we eat them.
Once cooked, you put two of them side by side on a heated kaiser roll, with Gulden's spicy mustard, a couple of polski wyrob dill pickle slices, and a thin slab of raw onion.
I was asked about the Sheboygan connection earlier in this thread, and explained
here. According to my father-in-law, the double brat is the traditional way of eating them at Summerfest in Sheboygan, WI along the shore of Lake Michigan.
Here's how I make them now...
Sheboygan-style Double Brats
2 packages of Johnsonville Fresh Bratwurst, 5 links in each (unless you have a German butcher near you who makes really good fresh bratwurst. We don't, and have found Johnsonville to be the best commercial brand)
water
1/2 stick butter
2 bottles Varsteiner (regular)
1 vidalia onion, sliced thinly but in whole slices
1 jar polish dill sandwich stacker pickles
spicy (Gulden's is good) mustard
5 fresh kaiser rolls, split in half
Place the bratwurst in a deep enough bowl or pot to cover with fresh water. Soak for about an hour, then drain away water.
While the bratwurst are soaking, set up the Showtime Rotisserie in the following manner...
Determine which two ends of the large rotisserie basket will be revolving closest to the heating element. Line each end with a strup of foil, tall enough to bend over the top and cover the outside of that end of the basket as well.
Place the bratwurst inside the basket. I find one row horizontally with the links placed vertically along the foil will hold about seven links, and you could fit two verticle rows of three links each with them lying starting at the top of the verticle links above that.
*I wish I had a digital camera so I could take a picture of what I mean. The description sounds fuzzy, even to me*
Put the top of the basket on, pressing the bratwurst firmly enough so they don't roll around, but not so firmly you burst the casings, or squish the filling out of the casings.
Carefully thread the basket on to the rotisserie prongs, and place in the Showtime. Set for 45 minutes or so, but start watching at about half an hour. You want the casing golden brown, not burnt.
In a pot big enough to place the bratwurst, melt the butter in the two bottles of beer. As the brats finish grilling, transfer them to the beer and butter and simmer all of them for at least a half hour.
Place the kaiser rolls ends together in a very hot oven with the heat turned off for about 30 seconds. Remove to serving platter.
Place two whole brats on the bottom of the kaiser roll, layer two slices of pickle and a slice of onion on top of the brats. Spread mustard on top half of kaiser roll. Pick up as a sandwich and enjoy!