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Summer is upon us, and in a few short weeks we’ll be in the midst of one of the best eating and drinking opportunities of the year, Independence Day. The Fourth of July is one of those freebies that comes along every so often—Thanksgiving, Christmas, your birthday, etc.—when calories simply do not matter. So take your cue from the mighty wildebeest, and make your plans now to find a suitable watering hole. For us, that usually involves plenty of beer and a barbecue full of great food. This year, we’re looking forward to mixing things up.
Beer’s for drinking, yes, but it’s also for cooking. We are familiar with Garrett Oliver‘s rhetoric on the subject, and Lucy Saunder’s practical application of it. But admittedly, we have little experience in this regard (aside from tossing a beer into our chili, an easy foray into cooking with beer that we highly recommend). The possibilities for beer-infused grub are many.
The Brewer’s Association has a good set of recommended reads for those more serious about the endeavor. But for non-foodies like us, a quick search of the Intertubes reveals plenty of acceptable options. Lucy’s site (above) has over 80 recipes. You can also look here, here, and here. You’ll find everything from fritters to biscuits and mussels to steaks. But in the interest of starting modestly, we’re thinking that a good old-fashioned beer-soaked bratwurst may be the way to go. We’ve attached a brat recipe after the jump from a site that isn’t big on proofreading (notice lager as “larger”), but includes a range of decent options. Take a look. If you have other suggestions for tasty, but easy bites that incorporate beer, please let us know. Bon appetit!
Grilled Bratwurst
40mins
German Name: Gegrillte Bratwurst
Serves 4 Hot Pork Sausage Alcohol Main Course Dairy free Eggless Germany Europe
Ingredients
8 Bratwursts (check ingredients)
360ml/12fl.oz. Beer
1 Onion, chopped
6 Peppercorns
4 Cloves
Instructions
1. Place the sausages, beer, onion, peppercorns and cloves in a large saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill to hot. Drain the sausages the place on the grill about 7.5cm/5-inches from the heat source and cook for 10 minutes, turning from time to time, until browned. Serve immediately.
Photo by Flickr user Matt From London used under a Creative Commons license.