A Burger for Bratwurst Day

Today is National Bratwurst Day. To me, it seems so wrong to celebrate Bratwurst in August. September makes more sense. Or October, when Football is in full swing. But not August.

As most of you know, Hubby is a Green Bay fan. Although in recent years, with all the political nonsense of the NFL, he’s backed away from the whole idea of sports. It’s supposed to be entertainment, not a political platform. What does that have to do with Bratwurst? If you know anything about Green Bay, then you know Bratwurst are the official tailgating food for any die hard Packer fan. Packer fans are known to brave sub-zero weather and trudge through the snow to reach the alter of the Grill and cook up their bratwurst.

Hubby introduced me to Bratwurst and to the whole tradition of eating them on Sundays during football season. But Bratwurst is more than just football food. And warm weather is perfect for grilling up something new to celebrate National Bratwurst Day. Yeah, now we’re cooking with sausage!

Bratwurst Burgers with Grilled Onions
Grilled Beer Braised Onions
1 White Onion
2 tablespoons Bacon Drippings
1/3 cup Beer

Cut onion in half from root to tip. Peel both halves. Thinly slice each half into half-moon rings. Break apart an set aside.

Melt bacon drippings in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter onion slivers in the skillet. Cook until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add beer, let it bubble up. Lower heat, simmer for another 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Bratwurst Burgers
4 uncooked Bratwurst Sausage Links
1/2 lb Ground Beef
6 Hamburger Buns
Spicy Brown Mustard to taste

Using a sharp knife, split each bratwurst lengthwise. Remove and discard casings. Place sausage meat in a mixing bowl. Add ground beef. Mix well to combine the meats.

Divide brat blend into six equal balls. Flatten meat balls to create hamburger patties just slightly larger than the buns.

Oil grate on the grill. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Grill burgers until cooked through, about 4 or 5 minutes per side depending upon thickness.

While the brat burgers grill, split buns. Spread mustard on the cut side of both top and bottom bun. Place some grilled onions on each bottom bun. Top onion with a brat burger, top burger with more grilled onion. Place top bun to complete, serve with fries and enjoy.