Wisconsin Beer Brat Feast

The ultimate Wisconsin summer grill out. Grilled brats simmered first in beer and onions served on simple brat bun with sauerkraut, the simmered onions, and mustard. Served with grilled corn and green garlic butter, tomato panzanella salad, and potato salad with dijon vinaigrette. Serves 15.

Ingredients:

Beer brats:

• 16 Brats

• 16 Brat buns

• 3 large onions

• Sauerkraut

• 2 Bay Leaf

• Peppercorns

• 6-pack New Glarus Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale

Grilled corn with garlic scape butter:

• 16 ears of corn

• 1 stick butter

• 1 bunch garlic scapes

• Lemon zest of two lemons

• Fresh Oregano

• Black pepper

Tomato Panzanella salad:

• 3 lbs of tomatoes cut in ½ inch pieces

• 1 cup fresh mozzarella torn into one inch pieces

• One to two loaves of crusty bread sliced one inch thick

• Lots of basil (40 leaves)

• Four shallots (two if large) sliced thinly

• 1 cup of good olive oil

• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• Maldon salt

• Black pepper

Potato salad with dijon vinaigrette:

• 3 pounds red new potatoes

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

• ½ cup olive oil

• 6 scallions, chopped

• ½ cup chopped parsley

• ¼ cup chopped dill

• Salt and pepper

Recipe:

Prep:

• Either leave butter out for an hour or microwave for 30 seconds and leave out.

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil.

• Put the potatoes in the boiling salted water for 20 minutes.

• Strain potatoes and let cool.

• While cooling, slice onions relatively thickly, and shallots, garlic scapes, and scallions thinly. Put in separate bowls.

• Take large empty pot and fill it with the beers. Put on medium high heat to reach a simmer, and then turn down heat but enough to maintain a low simmer.

• Add sliced onions to the simmering beer, along with bay leaves and peppercorns.

• Chop herbs finely - put basil in one bowl, oregano in one bowl, parsley and dill in another.

• Zest two lemons and put in a bowl.

• Mix the soft unsalted butter, thinly sliced garlic scapes, oregano, maldon salt, and pepper in a bowl using a fork or spoon.

• Scoop the mixed butter onto a sheet of parchment paper. Roll up the parchment paper with the butter making a log and twist and fold the ends in. Put in the fridge.

• Cut tomatoes into ½ pieces, put in a bowl with the lid on. Tear mozzarella into ½ pieces and put into a bowl with the lid on.

• Slice and lay out the bread on a large baking sheet(s). Lightly brush with olive oil.

• Once cooled, cut potatoes into one-half inch pieces and put in your serving bowl.

• Turn heat off brats after 12 minutes. Move the pot to a different burner. Strain out the onions and put into a covered serving bowl. Let brats rest in liquid.

• Light the charcoal for the grill and make sure your grill tools are ready.

Make the potato salad:

• Combine the vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil will whisking.

• Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and scallions.

• Add the herbs, salt, and pepper.

• Toss to combine and put, covered, in the fridge.

• Take out and slice the compound butter and put the slices into a bowl to bring to the grill.

Assemble the tomato panzanella salad:

• Toss the tomatoes, torn mozzarella, and basil in the serving bowl.

• Put the sliced shallots, olive oil, red wine vinegar, maldon salt, and pepper into a bowl with a tight fitting lid. Shakes to combine and coat the onions.

Grill:

• Bring the brats, brat buns, corn, compound butter, sauerkraut, mustard, and sliced bread to the grill.

• Grill the corn on the hottest part of the grill for one to two minutes a side, ideally creating black char marks.

• Once all sides are lightly charred, put into your serving pan or platter.

• Scatter slices of the compound butter over the corn.

• Seal the pan or platter tightly with tin foil.

• Grill brats one to two minutes a side over the hottest part of the grill, ideally leaving grill marks.

• Put grilled brats into a walled serving dish, pour ¼ of inch of the beer liquid into the dish to keep the brats tender. Cover with tin foil.

• Add charcoal if necessary to keep grill very hot.

• Grill the slices of bread on the hottest part of the grill, turning quickly as they can easily burn. Maybe 30 seconds to one minute a side.

• Put grilled bread on a cutting board and slice into ½ pieces.

Final assembly:

• Add grilled bread and shallot vinaigrette to tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil in its serving bowl. Toss to combine.

• Uncover potato salad, brats in simmering liquid, and grilled corn with melted butter and set next to the panzanella salad.

• Set out onions, sauerkraut, brat buns, left over compound butter, and mustard.

Feast and enjoy.