Bacon, beer, and brats are each tremendous on their own, but if you activate the interlocks they form Bacon-Wrapped Beer Brats. They’re the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth.
I had a few Resignation Brewery KCCO black lagers in the fridge and wanted to put them to good use. I couldn’t think of a better way, other than drinking them of course, to enjoy the fruits of The Chive’s labor than by cooking brats. Sure you can buy beer brats, but where’s the fun in that? I drew a deliciously dark KCCO bath, and the rest is history.
If doesn’t take much to make these slices of meat heaven, just a couple of The Chive’s KCCO black lagers, uncooked brats, bacon, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Most of you probably have all of that in fridge/cupboard right now! You don’t even have to lay them out and take a picture like an asshole, making things even more simple.
You could buy beer brats if you’re lazy, but picking your own beer is part of the fun. I suppose you could buy beer brats then cook them in even more beer to make a super beer brat, but now we’re just getting crazy.
This doesn’t quite compare to Towel Thursday, but it’s still a sexy sight.
Beer baths are good for your skin, so just imagine how good it is for your meat.
You might think you need a toothpick to hold these together, but you’re wrong. Why don’t you just believe in the power of bacon? There’s nothing it can’t do.
The brown sugar and cayanne pepper are like the tequila floater in a margarita. Do you need it? Of course not, but you’d be an idiot not to have it. As Vanilla Ice once said, “Anything less than the best is a felony.”
When you pull the tray out to flip them halfway through, you might get scared that you’re burning them. Keep calm and cook on though because that’s just sugar that’s fallen off and burned. The actual meat bites are perfectly fine.
Of course that doesn’t mean you can’t still burn them. I have faith in you, but not that much.
I served these to a bunch of fellow Wolverines while watching Michigan get trounced by Kansas State, and it did wonders to ease the pain of defeat. The repeated shots of Fireball probably had something to do with that too. It also had something to do with why I didn’t take a fancy final picture with mustard staged just out of focus and whatnot. I was drunk by the time I took these out of the oven.
Fun fact: Buffalo Wild Wings in Chicago didn’t show the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl with sound.
This idea originally comes from Kristina over at Better Recipes, but I took out the dried mustard. You can certainly throw in a half-teaspoon if you want.
Ingredients:
- 2 bottles KCCO Black Lager
- 1 package (19.76 ounces) uncooked pork bratwurst
- 8 slices bacon, halved
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line pan with non-stick foil.
- Pierce each bratwurst in several places with a fork.
- Put beer and brats in skillet and heat until very hot, but not boiling.
- Reduce heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until brats are no longer pink inside turning brats after 10 minutes.
- Remove brats from skillet and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Discard beer.
- Or don’t, whatever.
- Cut each brat into 3 equal pieces, wrap each with one bacon half.
- Mix brown sugar and cayenne pepper in bowl.
- Coat each bacon-wrapped brat all over in sugar mixture.
- Lay coated brats in the foil-lined pan with the seam of bacon firmly down.
- Bake brats for 20-25 minutes, carefully turning at halfway point, until bacon is crispy.
- Remove to paper towels to drain briefly.
- Stack on penguin plate then serve to drunk friends.