How to Cook Sausage ~ Oma's Grilled Bratwurst

➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson

This method for how to cook sausage is such an easy way and works for many German sausage recipes. The German word, Bratwurst, literally means 'fry sausage' and is probably one of the easiest ways to make this.

In Germany, there are over 1,500 types of sausages. That's hard to imagine, but it's true! Many sausage stores, aka Wurstladen, sell around 50 varieties each, making Germany the sausage capital of the world.

Sausage can be purchased raw, smoked, canned, frozen, or cooked. They can be thin, fat, long, short, and made from any combination of veal, beef, or pork.

Each often has its own way of preparation, but most can be made the way shown here.

Wurst by any other name ...

The many varieties come with some very interesting names such as "Bierwurst" (beer sausage), "Blutwurst", (blood sausage), "Fleischwurst" (meat sausage), "Blaue Zipfel" (blue tip), "Teewurst" (tea sausage) and "Speckwurst" (bacon sausage).

What is the best way to cook sausage?

This Bratwurst recipe shows how to cook sausage by first gently boiling (to keep the moisture in the sausage!) and then final stage is the grill or fry pan in order to get that crispy brown skin. 

Yes, it may seem strange to first boil these sausages. I mean, most people just throw them onto the grill or into the fry pan. And, that works. BUT, those methods often result with dried out meat.

Simmering the sausages in liquid (and yes, you can use broth, or stock, or beer) preserves more of the moisture and fat within the sausage.

Once they are cooked through, they are quickly browned, either on the grill or the fry pan. 

These are absolutely fantastic when served with potato salad.

If you're looking for an easy way to make lots of sausages, you can bake them instead. That way you can make lots at the same time, limited only by the size of your pan/oven.

The History of Bratwurst

When you think of Germany, what is the first thing to pop into your head? For many, it's the sausage of course! 

Bratwurst has been a popular dish in Germany for many generations. You may be wondering why this is...allow me to share some 'sausage knowledge'. 

Many many years ago, it wasn't always so easy to put dinner on the table for your family, so EVERYTHING was saved. Every scrap of food, every leftover, every veggie, and any meat. During desperate times, nothing could risk being put to waste. 

Any meat scraps that were harvested, received, or found would be gathered up and made into bratwurst sausages! Seeing as they can be made small, a large abundance could be made at a time. This was the perfect recipe to make to get through the harsh winters and difficult times. Bratwurst quickly became a favorite among many in Germany, not just for the convenience, but the deliciousness too! 

Royal Sausage?

It is also said that bratwurst became the 'royal' dish to be served in Frankfurt at coronations for the Holy Roman Emperors. Everyone would gather together in the main villages and roast locally made pork sausages. Bratwurst was seen as a luxury during these celebrations because they would use nothing but the best mincemeat out there to prepare them.

It's pretty interesting to see how the history of Bratwurst has changed over the centuries. At first, it was a way of survival, then used for celebrations, and now it is enjoyed all over the world! In pubs, German restaurants, and sold in stores. But we will always give the German's credit for creating this lecker sausage, and remember the struggle they went through centuries ago that led them to make it, then share it with us!

Oma says,

In Canada and USA when talking about sausages, it is usually the Bratwurst (actually translates as "fry sausage") that is talked about.

This is a raw sausage and can be gently boiled before frying or grilling.

Ready to cook some sausage?

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