Touchdown Tailgate Brat Tub

Bratwurst (BRAHT-vurst), better known as brats, are the perfect tailgate food. Madison, Wisconsin, calls itself the “Brat Capital of the World” and is home of the giant annual Brat Fest over Memorial Day weekend, where more than two hundred thousand brats are served. Only slightly more modest, Sheboygan, an hour south of Green Bay, calls itself the “Bratwurst Capital of America.” Near Madison, in Middleton, is the Mustard Museum (a must visit, pun intended).

Bratwurst contains coarsely ground pork and/or veal, pepper, garlic, mustard, ginger, savory, mace, and milk, all stuffed into natural pork casings. For this recipe, buy plain brats, not cheese-filled aberrations. Brats are not precooked, so they must be heated to at least 160°F in the center to be safe.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the sauce at home, chill everything, and then finish it at the game. You will need a 9-x-13-inch disposable aluminum pan about for the brat tub.

Makes 6 sandwiches

Takes about 1 hour

• 6 nice buns (see Notes)
• 2 (12-ounce) bottles cheap American lager, nothing bitter
• 6 bratwursts
• 2 medium onions, halved through the root and sliced into half rings
• ½ cup KC Classic (page 175)
• ¼ cup Dijon-style mustard
• ¼ teaspoon your favorite hot sauce (see Notes)
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

1. Fire up. Set up the grill for two-zone cooking and get the indirect-heat zone to about 325°F.

2. Cook. Open the buns and place them, cut sides down, on the direct side of the grill to warm and toast slightly. (Butter them first if you like. I like.)

3. Dump the beer into a pan and bring it to a simmer.

4. Most brats are curved. Bend and flex them so they are close to straight. They are easier to turn on the grill and they fit the buns better when they are straight, allowing more room for the sauce. Add the brats to the beer and simmer for about 15 minutes to absorb flavor. Roll the brats around if they are not covered in beer and simmer for about 15 minutes longer.

5. Push the brat tub to the side, remove the brats, and grill over direct heat just long enough to get some snap and brown onto the skin, 1 to 3 minutes on each side. They should read at least 160°F in the center on a good digital thermometer when they are done.

6. While the brats are grilling, add the onions, barbecue sauce, mustard, hot sauce, and liquid smoke (if using) to the hot tub and stir.

7. When the brats are the right shade of brown, move the hot tub onto the direct-heat side of the grill. Slip the brats into the tub, coat them with the sauce, and cook down until it is gloppy. This will take 20 to 30 minutes.

8. Nestle the brats on the buns with the onions and the sauce. Not too much sauce—you want to taste the brats. Put extra brats back in the sauce on the indirect part of the grill to hold for when people want seconds.

Notes: In Wisconsin the brats go on “sausage rolls” or “sausage buns,” which are thicker, firmer, and have a more substantial crust than a hot dog bun. They make a difference.

I usually use Tabasco Chipotle Sauce. Add more if you wish.