How Wisconsins Serve Brats
from http://www.bratwurstpages.com/brats.html

In Wisconsin, bratwurst are served virtually everywhere during "grilling season," which generally runs from May through September.  They are served at a myriad of outdoor events, as well as in nearly every Wisconsin backyard. Brats are rarely consumed with white wine or similarly pretentious beverage.  Brats are nearly always washed down with beer, a/k/a "bratwash".  Eating brats is meant to be a relaxed, social activity - part of the celebration of an all-too-short summer in Wisconsin.

As with all cooking, the key is to use quality ingredients and proper technique.  Buy good brats.  Care about what you're doing.  Pay attention to the details. Authentic bratwurst is a fresh sausage which must be cooked thoroughly before eating.  You may see pre-cooked bratwurst for sale - they do not look, feel, or taste like fresh bratwurst.

One important point - don't ever boil bratwurst!  You may see recipes that call for parboiling or boiling.  What they mean to (or ought to) say is simmered in beer or water, usually with chopped onion added.  Simmering means bringing the liquid to the temperature at which steam rises from the surface, but not so hot that it bubbles.  Boiling will cause the casings to burst.

Also, you may see or hear the term "brat fry". The term is technically a misnomer.  Bratwurst can be pan fried, and you may see recipes that call for it.  Nevertheless, at a Wisconsin "brat fry", the bratwurst are cooked on a grate over charcoal, usually on a kettle grill.

Brats are served on a bun, dressed with condiments, and accompanied by classic side dishes such as German potato salad or American potato salad, pickle, and baked beans.  There are rules to be followed, and if you break them in the presence of a Wisconsin bratwurst connoisseur, you will be considered a culinary pissant (sorry to get stuffy here and use words derived from French, but that's the way it is).

Rule #1: Do not serve bratwurst on a hot dog bun!  Brats are eaten on a brat bun, or in Sheboygan, on a Sheboygan hard roll, which is based on a Bavarian semmel roll.  Brat buns resemble hot dog buns, but are larger and more substantial and chewy, and are designed to hold a single brat.  Sheboygan hard rolls are moderate-sized round buns, suited to the Sheboygan-style double-brat sandwich. In Sheboygan, most folks put two brats on a round roll.  In the rest of Wisconsin, they put one brat on a brat bun.  Both types have a golden brown surface and are substantial enough to hold onto the brats, condiments, and for most folks in Sheboygan - lots of butter (This is not low-calorie cuisine).  

Rule #2: Do not put yellow mustard on a brat!  It is an abomination.  The classic mustard for brats is a brown Wisconsin German-style Düsseldorf, medium to dark in color and pungency, slightly sweet-sour and sometimes flavored with herbs. Dijon is also nice.

Beyond those two rules, which are widely accepted in Wisconsin, there are differences of opinion, especially between Sheboygan (self-proclaimed Bratwurst Capital of the World), and the rest of the state.

Typical condiments outstate include any combination of chopped onion, sauerkraut, ketchup, and mustard. In Sheboygan, brats are typically dressed with "da works" - ketchup, mustard, chopped onion and pickle.  Saurkraut as a topping is frowned upon. It should be noted that some folks consider ketchup on a brat to be an abomination; similar to how connoisseurs of hot dogs feel.

I sometimes eat my brats dressed simply with my Savory Beer Sauce (see recipe below) and mustard.

Brats are rarely consumed with white wine or similarly pretentious beverage.  Brats are nearly always washed down with beer, a/k/a "bratwash".  Eating brats is meant to be a relaxed, social activity - part of the celebration of an all-too-short summer in Wisconsin.

Bratwurst Pages Grilled Brats with Savory Beer Sauce

There are three steps to this method - simmering, grilling, and holding.  To cook 10 brats, you'll need:

10 brats
2-12 ounce bottles or cans of beer
1 large onions
Kettle grill (Weber is the standard)
Charcoal briquettes (about 30) or lump charcoal
10 brat buns
Condiments (ketchup, brown mustard (yellow mustard is an abomination - don't use it), chopped onion)
My Holding Sauce (see recipe below) 

Mound charcoal briquettes in a pyramid.  Start the charcoal.  I use an electric starter, avoiding the use of hydrocarbons.  When the coals are partially white, spread in a single layer.  Allow the charcoal to burn until coals are covered with white-ash glowing embers (about 20-30 minutes)  On a kettle grill, the heat is just right when you can hold your hand palm-down, 2 inches above the grate, for 4-5 seconds.  If you can still see a red glow, it's too early to start cooking.

As you wait for the charcoal to get ready, put 2 beers in a pot.  Throw in a chopped onion and the brats.  If you need more liquid to cover the brats, add water.  Bring the beer to a simmer (Don't let it boil - ever!  When steam begins to rise from the top of the liquid, it's just right.  Boiling will cause the brats to burst).  Simmer the brats for 20 minutes.  Throw out the beer/onion mixture.

When coals are ready, place brats on the grill 7-9 inches above the coals.

Use tongs to turn the brats often until golden brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes if you have pre-simmered them.  Cover grill between turns.

Flare-ups can quickly ruin your brats, turning them a hellish shade of black. Flare-ups can be avoided with proper technique. Treat the brats with care.  Don't puncture them or squeeze them too hard.  If you see a flare-up developing, quickly move brats away from the flames if you can, immediately close grill cover and close vents for a minute or so.  Some folks control flare-ups with a spray bottle of water.  I find that a spray bottle is unnecessary, if you are prepared to move quickly and use proper technique.  Proper equipment helps as well.  Use a Weber kettle charcoal grill.  The vents can be adjusted to provide the optimum fire for cooking brats.

Serve brats on brat buns, dressed with a bit of the sauce and your favorite condiments.  Accompany with classic Wisconsin side dishes.

For a crowd; double, triple, or whatever.  At many festivals in Wisconsin, tens of thousands of brats are served.

In Wisconsin, nearly everyone drinks beer while grilling brats.  Hey, it's part of the culinary technique, so just do it.

Bratwurst Pages Savory Beer Sauce

For 10 brats:
2-14.5 ounce cans stewed tomatoes
2 bottles or cans beer
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix ingredients and bring to a simmer. Hold grilled brats in sauce until ready to eat. Do not let sauce boil.

Try dressing your brat with this sauce instead of ketchup.  Add a bit of brown mustard, if you wish.

Also see Brats in Beer.