For Love of Beer Simmered Bratwursts - A Pictorial

I don't know where the idea for beer-simmered brats came from, but I hope that it involves some rosy-cheeked, heavy-set man with a big, bushy mustache and a thick Bavarian accent. My inspiration for this dish came from a much less authentic source, the culinary stylings of Bobby Flay. Personally, I'm not a huge fan (I don't like the way he berates his soux chefs on Iron Chef America), but no one else is doing a regular grilling show on the Food Network. I just fast forward through the parts where he's not cooking (Go TiVo!).

Flay's recipe calls for using pre-cooked bratwursts. Personally, I think this total crap. In the exhaustive research for this post, I prepared the same recipe using both pre-cooked and uncooked bratwursts. If you learn only one thing from my efforts, use the uncooked variety. The following pictures document my first attempt using the pre-cooked variety. Let's just all use our imagination and pretend that they're not.

Step 1: Chop up 1 large onion into rough strips. Slice a handful of garlic into slivers. Poke each bratwurst with a sharp knife 8 times.

Step 2: Toss everything into a grill-safe container (I like the disposable aluminum kind). Flay added a ton of spices into his mix, but I ignored all that and just kept it simple. I prefer to let the beer, onions and garlic rule the flavor roost.

Step 3: Add beer until the ingredients are covered. In this example I used Shiner Bock, which gives the brats an excellent flavor. Plus, it's a traditional German dark lager brewed in Texas. I don't know if grill karma exists, but I'm sure this doesn't hurt. Use cheaper beer at your own risk. Remember, don't cook with beer that you wouldn't drink while sober.

Step 4: Place the container on a covered grill on high until the beer starts to boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the brats are grey (if you used raw brats, which you should). It's most efficient do this on a stove top in a regular pot, but admit it, the grill is manlier. An acceptable compromise is to use a regular pot on your grill's side burner. Your grill will reward the loyalty.

Step 5: Transfer the brats to the grill surface for the final roast. Extract the beer-boiled onions and garlic from the brew and save for future topping use. As delicious as bratwurst flavored beer sounds and smells, you'll be tempted to drink the leftovers. Don't because that stuff is pretty hot and because that's just weird.

Step 6: Give them a final toast. You can use much higher heat for this step than you'd normally use because the brats are already cooked through. In fact, this step should only take a few minutes. Remember - brown tastes good.

Step 7: Place on a bun of suitable (highest) quality. I prefer soft rolls that don't dominate the bratwurst. If you must go low-cal to compensate for the beer-simmered avalanche of flavor, I recommend Nature's Own Whitewheat buns (1 pt. per bun). Top with sauerkraut (I prefer the sweeter, milder Bavarian variety), spicy brown mustard and maybe an onion or two. If you really want a roundhouse kick to the tastebuds, slap on a little beer mustard.

To show how versatile this meal is, I've used the beer-infused onions and garlic to garnish a truly enormous hot dog.

The first batch using the pre-cooked brats was pretty good, but the second using uncooked brats blew my mind. My hands were literally shaking as I savored the beer-simmered juiciness. The room started to spin and I think I blacked out for a minute or two. These weren't just the best brats I've ever made, they were the best things I've ever prepared on a grill. Ever. Ever.

As for the points value, I'm guesstimating that the addition of beer as a flavorant actually doesn't raise the points value of the bratwurst. Thus, each link is 8 points (I used uncooked Johnsonville Original brats). Yes, it's worth it. My goodness it's worth it!

One final note - This method is particularly suited for tailgating because it's fast and doesn't require fine heat control. That, and because there's usually a lot of beer laying around. Just don't drink the brautbier.

A huge thanks to Kurt Rampton for snapping all the delectable photos while I was working the grill, and for helping me eat the results. Also thanks to everyone who let me use their grills, and for helping me eat the results.

Update 7/13/06 - Kurt made a monster suggestion after making these on a camping trip with his buds. He suggested cooking the brats in trays over live coals and then skewering them and roasting them over an open-fire marshmallow style. That way everyone can roast their own. Sounds like an incredible communal dinner...

Dried Basil Sucks: Weekend Herb Blogging

For years now I've tolerated the dirt-like flavor of dried basil in countless hundreds of meals. No more. With one quick purchase at my local nursery, and an hour of my wife's time (which I'm happy to devote), I've now got my own supply of fresh basil at my disposal.

I say Jenny's time, because shortly after I bought it I got busy and she had to plant it for me. Come to think of it, she's also done all the watering and upkeep associated with maintaining an herb. I guess then it's her plant. Whatever, you get my point.

Jenny and I love our Italian food, and now we've got the means to reproduce pesto, Caprese salads and other summer delicacies.

Or we could just mince it up and toss it on top of a prosciutto, onion and cheese omelet. I think that would taste pretty good...

I highly recommend you procure your own supply. Who knows? If this takes off, I may get Jenny to grow me some thyme, rosemary or oregano. She's quite the gardener.

P.S. - I've started making omelets with one whole egg and two egg whites. Why the departure from an all-egg-white omelet? Because it's worth the extra 2 points to want to get out of bed in the morning to make breakfast.

P.P.S. - I've never participated in Weekend Herb Blogging, but I guess it's because I've never blogged about herbs before. First time for everything! Click here to see this week's recap.

Guinness Muffins #3: A Culinary Journey

A few weeks ago, I left a comment on Janelle's craft blog "Tchotchke Attack" congratulating her on her awesome loaf of beer bread. In that comment, I vocalized my idea for making Guinness muffins. It seemed pretty innocent at the time, but I should have known better than to throw such an earth-shattering idea around without a recipe to back it up.

Sure enough, Janelle came to NTSC and posted a comment asking for a recipe. A quick search on the internet found only this recipe. Despite it's Irish pedigree, it contained lots of extra junk like sultanas and marmalade. I wanted a recipe that made Guinness muffins, not Guinness-sultana-marmalade muffins. With no formula to provide Janelle, I decided undertake the seemingly impossible mission of creating one.

I turned to AB's second cookbook, I'm Just Here for More Food for my starter recipe. After reading the entire "Muffin Method" section as well as boning up on the science of chemical leaveners, I determined that his "Old School Muffin" (basic) recipe was a good start.

I spent an hour at the local bookstore searching through a stack of cookbooks for the key to adding a liquid flavorant to the muffins, but came up zeros. I found a million ways to incorporate fruit, nuts and the like, but nothing that would lead me to the end result I was after. The big question was how beer would affect the leavening. A quick search of the internet revealed that the PH of beer is the same as that of yogurt - which was common in many muffin recipes I'd found. This allowed me to substitute Guinness for the yogurt at will without significantly tampering with the leavening.

I'll spare you the 3 iterations I went through to get to my final recipe. Suffice to say I made a few changes including:

• Reducing, then eliminating the yogurt and replacing it with Guinness (of course)
• Changing from regular sugar to brown sugar to brown sugar and honey (for sweetness and depth of flavor)
• Reducing the oil and replacing it with unsweetened applesauce (for moistness)
  

The recipe makes a pretty moist batter, although the texture of the finished muffins were perfect. I may add a little flour next time, but for now if it ain't broke don't fix it. The results of this project turned out just like I'd imagined - slightly sweet and with a not-so-subtle Guinness richness and smokiness. Almost like a strong molasses taste, but more complex and with a strong hint of the black stuff.

In closing, I'll humbly add that I'm no expert baker, so if anyone has suggestions for improvement, please let me know. I baked 36 muffins for the benefit of the whole world, not just for myself. Ok...some for myself.

Guinness Muffins #3

300g (2 1/4) cups AP Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 pinch Salt

1 cup Guinness Extra Stout
1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
1/3 cup Honey
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk (use the whites for omlettes)
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°.

Pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a food processor for 15 seconds to sift ingredients and combine. Dump into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Spray a regular muffin tin with Baker's Joy (or equivalent). Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry and whisk for 10 seconds - until there are no large pockets of flour, but not until the batter is smooth. Lumps will cook out. Portion into 12 regular muffin cups.

Place in oven and raise the temperature to 375°. Cook for 16-18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Don't overcook them!

Recipe makes enough batter for 12+ muffins. The entire batch of batter is 53 points, so as I made them each muffin is 4.5 points.

P.S. - I suppose if you really wanted to, you could invite som raisins to the party. That would probably up the flavor and texture content of the finished product. I'd guess 3/4 cup would do the trick - just soak them in Guinness first, for goodness sake.

Hope springs from shiny stainless steel...

Because of our oh-so-tiny kitchen, large items seldom find their way into the Conway household. In fact, my stand mixer, griddle and a whole pantry of hardware take up permanent residence in the storage closet in our office. Still, sometimes you just have to buy a giant pan.

I've been doing without a "real" roaster for quite some time now, having made 2 turkeys, countless chickens and baked pasta aplenty by improvising with various sub-standard substitutions. Now, at long last, I have a new roasting pan in my life.

I remember back in my Williams Sonoma days, when I used my incredible employee discount to bring home a 10 pc. set of All-Clad stainless cookware. I was still living in my fraternity house at the time as graduation was still several months away. There, in the privacy of my room, I carefully unwrapped each pot, pan and lid and gazed at the acres of gleaming stainless. I was just beginning my journey into culinary hackdom, but even then my blood raced with the thought of so many meals yet to be cooked.

My pots and pans have since developed the semigloss patina of thousands of meals (I need to get some polish, they're neglected), but now I have that rush again as I imagine the joyous meals I'll create with my new roaster. Can you smell the deep muddy fond forming on the slick bottom, just begging to be deglazed into gravy? Or the crispy-oily skin of a perfectly prepped bird waiting to be devoured by my family. Roasting pans signal celebration, family and love. You don't bust them out to make mac and cheese (unless you really like mac and cheese). They exist to feed the multitudes.

Yes, culinary hope rarely gushes forth with the gusto felt when opening a new pan. I can't wait to start telling the story of my new friend...

Summer on a Bun

As much as I love meatloaf, potatoes, stews and the many other comforts of winter, Summer demands meals on the lighter side. It's hardly a sacrifice, given that months of cold and gloom make the appearance of great summer produce a welcome sight for sore eyes.

Normally I'd insert loving prose on the wonders of a good grilled vegetable sandwich, but alas grilling is not in the realm of my capabilities (fire codes and all). Undeterred, I pieced together a more than acceptable alternative...

First let's begin with the most important part - the bread. All good sandwiches start with good bread, and I've found a wonderful low-point baguette available at my Costco in the frozen food section. The bread is deliciously soft and toasts beautifully. At 4 pts. per 12" loaf, it's also a hell of a points-bargain.

Next, we go to the major flavor elements. When I think hot vegetable sandwich, I think fontina cheese. Summer adds fresh basil to the party, and as a meat stand-in portobello mushrooms are perfect. Roasted red peppers add color and richness to the mix, and a ton of sweet roasted garlic serves as the world's best condiment when spread over toasted bread.

All the flavors work together to create one awesome mess, especially when you overload the sandwich, as I tend to do. Top it all off with some fresh basil and marry it to a tall glass of Hefeweizen, and you've got a triumphant return to cooking after a long month of subsistence meals.

Summer Vegetable Sandwich with Fontina Cheese

6 oz. Portobello Mushrooms
1 med. Onion
2 sm. Zucchinis
1 Red Pepper
10-15 cloves Garlic
2 tablespoons EV Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Ground Coriander
Salt and Pepper
Fontina Cheese
Bread

Roast the red pepper and set aside to steam. Wrap the garlic cloves, spritzed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, in a 425° toaster oven for 1/2 hour. Set aside.

Very roughly chop vegetables and toss with oil, vinegar, coriander, salt and pepper. Sautee over high heat until all the vegetables are cooked and piping hot. Toast the bread, and spread the roasted garlic over one side. Spoon vegetables onto bread and top with peppers and fontina cheese. Chiffonade the basil and distribute over the top. If the fontina doesn't melt into glorious submission, pop the open-faced sandwich under the broiler.

Grab a fork, tie on a bib and enjoy...

Makes 4-6 6" subs, with each sub checking in at approximately 7 points. Recipes vary according to amounts of bread, cheese and such, so you'll have to do the math.

Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger

After more than a year of writing this blog, I've had to derive inspiration from the most unlikely of sources.

I've been working pretty late lately and I haven't taken the time to cook a blogworthy meal in weeks. As a result, I've had to depend on others to feed me. In honor of the funniest show on Comedy Central, NTSCBlog.com pays homage to my favorite hyper-pundit, Mr. Stephen Colbert (of "The Colbert Report"), in presenting our first-ever NTSCBlog.com Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger!

Our first heartfelt Tip of the Hat goes to the always excellent Ted's Montana Grill, one of my favorite chain restaurants. In addition to spotlighting the majestic bison - nature's original diet food and sustenance to Native Americans, intrepid westward explorers and hungry food blog writers - Ted's also features the most incredibly complete nutritional information I've ever seen. Thanks to them, I can enjoy a terrific 1/2 lb. bison burger for 13 guilt-free points. Let's see the fast food burgeristas and the rest of the restaurati compete with that!

Sadly, our first Waaaaag of the Finger goes to my friend Ronald, who shamefully allowed more than a dozen able-bodied beers to perish a long and slow death in his refrigerator. According Big Beer's ubiquitous and somewhat useless "Born on Date", I determined that these frosty brews screamed their first hoppy cries in October of 2005. That's right ladies and gentlemen, that's more than 9 months ago. Ronald, I hope the next time you aquire beer, you'll be thoughtfull enough to give them to a good home before they find a similar fate. You know who else wastes beer? Communists.

My second Tip 'O the Hat goes to my friend Josh, who hosted an excellent Lost season finale party two weeks ago, complete with Dharma-issued snacks.

I particularly liked the Dharma Wheat Crackers, which are delicious even without the ferocious appetite that comes from being stranded on a (maybe) deserted island for 2 months.

Finally, I have to issue a scathing Waaaaag of the Finger to...myself. That's right, I should hang my head in shame that I haven't taken the time to cook, but somehow I've managed to watch 3 episodes of the Colbert Report, the two hour Lost finale and 9 episodes of the first season of 24 in the last two weeks. I think I need to get back in the kitchen before my priorities get further out of whack.