Take a Brat, wrap it in bacon and load up on toppings, it’s going to be so good…
Summer wouldn’t be summer unless you themed one of your barbecue events around some glorious Bratwurst sausages. I decided to dress these babies up even more by adding cheese and wrapping them in bacon… too much? No way!
What is a Brat? Well a bratwurst sausage, commonly known as a ‘brat’, is made from pork that is finely chopped and formed into a sausage casing (wurst in German). The brat is usually grilled, but it’s also popular to poach it in beer for added flavour.
Bratwurst can be sold raw or pre-cooked. It’s important to know which one to buy. This recipe uses the pre-cooked kind. The shelf-life is longer and they are easier and faster to grill. They are already cooked so you just need to brown them to bring up to temperature, and they’re ready to eat.
Now here’s the fun part… I sliced them down the middle added cheese and then wrapped the whole thing in bacon. Triple yum!
In the photo you can see how I secured the bacon with tooth picks. These just keep the bacon on until it starts to brown and take on the shape of the brats. When that happens, they can be removed so you can turn easily on all sides for browning.
I used pre-cooked bacon as well in order to keep cooking time low and convenience high. That way you don’t have to stand there forever grilling to get the bacon cooked through.
Now on to more fun stuff… the toppings! I have given you two ways to finish off your brats, one for kid and one for adults.
Kids seem to like the simple (O.K. not really simple) bacon wrapped dogs, just brushed with a little BBQ sauce. For adults I do that, but bump it up by adding a sweet and spicy salsa topping. You choose – simple or dressed-up, which one is your style?
Dressed-up Dogs
EMAIL Recipe Share on FacebookIngredients
- 8 pre-cooked Bratwurst sausages
- slices of extra old cheddar cheese
- 24 slices of pre-cooked bacon
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 8 sausage buns
SALSA TOPPING:
- ½ cup pineapple, peaches or nectarines, cubed
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1-2 Thai chili peppers, finely dice (optional)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Slice Brat lengthwise almost all the way through. Slip slices of cheese into the opening.
- Wrap Brat with 3-4 slices of bacon securing each new strip with a toothpick.
- Grill over med-high heat, turning (toothpicks can be removed after bacon has started to cook and stay formed to Brat) for about 10-15 minutes or until an internal temperature of 74ºC is reached. Toast buns on grill for 2-3 minutes.
- FOR THE KIDS: Place Brat in toasted bun and slather with BBQ sauce.
- FOR ADULTS: Toss all ingredients of salsa in a small bowl. Place Brat in toasted bun and slather with BBQ sauce. Top with salsa.
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