Recipe: Brats with ChowChow

This weekend throw some Brats in a pot with some beer, finish them off on the grill, smother them with ChowChow and mustard, and settle in for an afternoon on the couch watching football. Just remember to save a few beers to drink.

This is a fantastically easy recipe. Boiling the brats first ensures they cook all the way through which is hard to do on the grill without the outside getting too browned and the inside drying out. Just be sure to manuever the brats with tongs to prevent piercing the outer skin. You’ll lose a lot of juice if you do this.

A few weeks ago I made some ChowChow ( a southern specialty) from the Tupelo Honey Cafe Cookbook and thought it would taste magnificent on the Brats- and it did. To me, chowchow has a much fresher and more vibrant taste than sauerkraut, yet it still provides the same tanginess.

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Brats with ChowChow

• 2-3 bottles of beer ( I say get by with using as little beer as you can so you have more to drink! You can always add a little water.)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 bratwurst
• 6 buns
• spicy or dijon mustard
• ChowChow (recipe follows)

1.  Preheat outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
2. Bring onions and beer to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add brats and seasonings. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10-12 minutes.
3. Remove brats from liquid and cook on grill for 5 to 10 minutes, turning to brown on each side.
4. To serve, place in buns and top with mustard and chowchow.

ChowChow

• 4 cups finely chopped green cabbage
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon stone ground mustard

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and place over high heat until mixture simmers.
2. Turn heat down to medium and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Cabbage should turn translucent.
3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Yield : 2 cups