Down-Gnome Cooking: Arnold Palmer Braised Brats

Hey boys and girls, here's a quick recipe from the Gnome:

I've been working on a number of easily transportable recipes that I can brown-bag to work for lunch the last few weeks. There are plenty of eating opportunities near my office but with how strapped I am for cash it has become much more effective to simply cook my own and pack it in. As such I'm working hard on building myself a menu of portable edibles that hold well and don't mind a little time in the fridge followed by a subsequent radiation bath.

The first in this series of brown-bag gourmet is an excellent recipe for braised bratwurst I stumbled across very recently. To be completely honest I was just dicking around in the kitchen, but the results were excellent, and so now I give it to the world.



Arnold Palmer Braised Brats:
-1 six-pack of plain bratwurst
-Arnold Palmer (2-3 cups, enough to almost cover)
-1 bay leaf
-1 tsp thyme (Both dried and fresh work here, fresh is a bit more herbal while dried is a little more meaty.)
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tbsp butter
-3/4 tsp salt
-1 tbsp dijon mustard

Preparation: Place a large saucepan on high heat and add the butter and melt, and then gently lay in the bratwurst 1 at a time. Rotate 1/4 turn approximately every 30 seconds until well browned on all sides, then add remaining ingredients, stir to dissolve, and simmer on lowest possible heat for 1 hour. Stir occasionally to keep liquid from burning. Remove from heat after the hour has passed and let rest 10 minutes before consuming. Serves 2-3.

As the cooking time on this dish finishes, the liquid in the pan should begin to gel somewhat and resemble more of a jelly than a braising sauce. That's exactly what we're looking for. It means a bit of fat has rendered from the bratwurst while at the same time ensuring that the braise has "taken", due to the fact that we're not adding moisture from the meat.

These brats are great by themselves but are also excellent on a hot dog bun with a bit of mayo and sauerkraut. Just about any pairing works well with these, and I intend to make them again once barbecue season gets into swing.