Yield - 60 to 70 Sausage Bites
3 LBS GARDEN STATE FRESH BRATWURST
SAUSAGE
(4 or 6oz links)
2 LARGE YELLOW ONIONS (Sliced into rings)
2 BOTTLES ABITA BEER (Or Dixie Blackened Voodoo is a good substitute,
a reduced caloric beer will NOT work for this recipe)
1/2 LB COLBY JACK CHEESE (Shredded)
In a large Dutch oven and over medium/high heat boil sausage,
onions and one beer for about 15 minutes. Cook sausage until
all of the beer evaporates and the onions start to caramelize.
Preheat a bar-b-que pit, remove sausage from Dutch oven and
place on the grill. Charbroil sausage until a golden brown color
is achieved on all sides. Use tongs to turn sausage, a fork
will puncture the skin and release the beer flavors. Remove
the sausage from the grill and cut into 1 inch bites.
While the sausage is grilling, strain off the grease from the
Dutch oven. Retain all of the onions and drippings. Return the
bites to the Dutch oven, use small amounts of beer to deglaze
the pan and sausages (About 1 ounce at a time.) The beer will
foam and lift the "graton" from
the bottom of the pan.
As the beer reduces and caramelizes, add more beer until all
is used.
Leave the sausages whole
and return to the sauce as instructed. The Brats
can then be placed whole on French bread pistolettes
smothered in cheese and served as a Creole modified "Sub".
Spoon the bites on to a large warmed serving tray, smoother
the bites with the Jack Cheese. Place the tray under a broiler
until cheese browns. Serve immediately.
When you consider South Louisiana's love for beer and sausage, I can't understand why more Cajuns don't cook their sausages this way. The caramelized flavor that the beer imparts to this is dish is indescribable. Try this one soon.