Welcome to JayPo’s Penalty Boxed Lunch where we explore food from around the country! This week’s 12th official entry comes from Wisconsin who you can’t have anything more synonymous than a hearty bratwurst on a bun.
Food History!
Popularly referred to as a “brat” here in the good ol’ US of A, as its full name implies, have heavy German influence and became popular from immigrants who settled in the upper mid-west. Wisconsin’s particular call to fame is simmering the brat in beer with onions and serving it on a long roll. Wisconsin apparently has the “largest bratwurst festival” in the world every year, so they know what they are talking about.
How I Made It!
I tried not to stray too far from tradition here. Found a decent brat at the grocery store and simmered them, along with onions/butter, in a pilsner beer before grilling them off. From there I topped the brats and onions on an Italian long roll. It was good! As noted in the tweet, I should have reduced the onions a bit longer (and/or changed the beer) and added some fun stuff like cheese curds. Yes, I didn’t put any mustard on it because its gross. MaximumTalbot and the rest of the haters please see the comment section below.
Hello Wisconsin! This week we did beer brats. Simmered with Double Nickel Pilsner and sweet onions and piled them on an Italian roll. The brats were tasty as hell but the onions were a little overpowering. Overall solid but would probably change the beer and top with cheese curds pic.twitter.com/tq6BK3GYMO
— Jason Polinsky (@Jay_Poozle) June 11, 2021
What Does A Local Think? (h/t to Matt Winkelman from PhilliesMinorThoughts!)
Do you think brat sandwich represents your state accurately?
The brat in of itself is extremely Wisconsin, it does not need the onions, on its own it replaces the hot dog elsewhere
How do you make your sandwich?
I eat 99% vegetarian so I rarely make these. Simple is to buy good beer brats, throw them on a grill, then put them on a roll and add mustard. Hard, start with brats boil in beer, take some onions and caramelize them with more beer and then add them together onto a bun with mustard.
How did I do?
Personally I might reduce the onions down a bit until they get some color and stickiness.
Where do you order your favorite brat?
Ballpark (Madison Mallards), but mostly this is a backyard barbecue food
