Venison Bratwurst Recipe - How to Make Red Brats | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook deer brats? ›

The best way to cook deer brats is by grilling or pan-frying. Grilling over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) ensures a flavorful and fully cooked bratwurst. You can also pan-fry them in a bit of oil until browned on all sides and cooked through.

*You can use a classic sausage ratio of 30% fat by doing 3 1/2 pounds of venison and 1 1/2 pounds of pork fatback. If you want to cut in pork trim, use 3 pounds of venison, 1 pound of pork trim, and 1 pound of fatback.

It can be flavored with garlic and marjoram. The more garlic the better. KNOCKWORST is a shorter, stockier German sausage made with beef, or beef and pork. It has a stronger garlic flavor profile and a characteristic 'snappy' texture to the skin when cooked.

Bring the water and brats to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes. You can boil and simmer the liquid and brats either inside on a stovetop or outside over a grill. This parboil step helps cook the brats evenly throughout so you don't have any raw spots in the middle!

Simmer the bratwurst for about 20 minutes, turning it several times. When the bratwurst is cooked through, transfer them to a hot grill and quickly brown them on both sides. Return the brats to the onion/beer mixture and serve immediately or hold them in the onion/beer mixture over low heat until ready.

Bring to a low boil. Add brats to the pan, cover with a lid and cook over a low swimmer for 10-12 minutes. Preheat a frying pan or grill to medium to medium-high heat. Add cooked brats to frying pan or grill and cook for a few minutes a side until brown & caramelized all over.

You will want fatty pork shoulder or pork belly, or a mix of both. You can use beef fat, too, if you prefer; use fat trimmed from steaks and roasts. As for the venison in this venison sausage, you'll want to use trim, mostly.

Using a ratio of 50% game meat to 50% pork butts or pork shoulders will give you a high quality sausage with a pork influence. 2. Using a ratio of 75% game meat to 25% pork trimmings will give the game meat some pork flavor and bind it when cooking, without removing the venison taste.

Pork fat is usually added to the venison meat to add fat. You can get pork trimmings from your local butcher. I like to make 60/40 venison sausage, which means you mix 60% venison with 40% pork fat trimmings. Cube the venison and pork trimming to a size that you can feed into your grinder.

Sindelar said parboiling speeds up the unfolding process and can result in a mushy meat texture, the development of rubbery casings and separate the casing from the sausage. So, there you have it. It's settled science.

Why do people boil brats before cooking? ›

You do that to get the center of the sausage completely cooked. You want to do this for both food safety reasons (ground meats can have pathogens distributed throughout the meat and must be heated through) and also so you don't serve them to your guests while they are still raw in the middle.

The best seasonings for brats include a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a touch of cayenne for some heat.

During the unfolding process, proteins bind with fats, salt, pepper and seasonings to create texture and flavor. Parboiling speeds up the process that can create a mushy meat texture, develop rubbery casings and separate the casing from the sausage. Proteins unfold slower in the medium-low heat of a grill.

DON'T POKE HOLES IN YOUR BRATS: If you do, you will watch all that delicious flavor pour onto the bottom of your grill and sizzle away. DON'T BOIL YOUR BRATS: If you do, successfully make delicious brat flavored water and that is about all. Stick to these professional grilling techniques.

How do you know when brats are done boiling? The boiled brats are done boiling and ready to grill or fry when the casing turns white and the brats float. The best way to check this is to see whether a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a brat registers145°F.

Allow them to bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). This ensures the brats are thoroughly cooked and safe to consume.

Cooking a bratwurst requires thorough cooking at higher temperatures; cook to an internal temperature of 152°F which means 290°F while cooking the brat. After the brat is cooked, maintain a temp not higher than 190°F to keep warm.

Start your fire and let them burn down to grey-looking coals. While you are waiting for the coals to burn down, soak your bratwurst in COLD water for 5-7 minutes. This makes the casing more pliable and reduces breakage. Gently lay the brats on the clean hot grate, turning them often.