A Note From The Chef

It seems odd that the summer is half gone and I am working on the Fall class schedule as I write this. It went by so fast. We still have many more outdoor cooking days left though, so let’s make the best of them.

I will be offering more free grilling and smoking clinics for the rest of the summer. Come learn about the differences in charcoal versus gas; indirect versus direct cooking; smoking and outdoor baking. August clinics will be conducted at the Bekins’ Showroom on the following dates:

Saturdays, August 8, 22, and 29 between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM

Feel free to stop by our showroom and sample what’s cooking on the Wolf outdoor grill, BroilMaster gas grill, and Big Green Egg charcoal cooker.

The Fall class schedule is complete and on-line. It has some great new classes and a few repeats of popular older ones. You can access it at www.realcoolcookingschool.com or download the pdf file at the right side-bar.

Cheers!

Chef Tom Reinhart

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Tel: 616-844-7780

Recipe of the Month

A bratwurst is a sausage composed of pork, beef, and sometimes veal. The name is German, derived from Old High German brätwurst, from brät- which is fine chopped meat and -wurst, sausage.

The bratwurst is often considered as "The German Fast Food Meal." Bratwurst can be eaten with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and roasted onions. The sausage is often eaten with a hot or sweet German mustard, sometimes also served on a hard German roll and accompanied by beer. Bratwurst is also a favorite in Germany for grilling.

If you are up for a road trip in August, the 42nd Annual Bratwurst Festival is held August 20th, 21st, and 22nd in Bucyrus, Ohio (about 40 miles south of Sandusky). It’s acclaimed to be one of the best food festivals in the mid-west.

Grilled Brats with Savory Beer Sauce
There are three steps to this method - simmering, grilling, and holding. To cook 10 brats, you'll need:

10 brats
2 bottles or cans of beer
1 large onion
10 brat buns
Condiments (ketchup, brown mustard, chopped onion)
Holding Sauce (see recipe below)

Simmer (don’t boil) the brats for 20 minutes in the beer and onions. Discard the beer/onion mixture.

Grill the brats for 10-15 minutes until golden brown on all sides, using tongs to turn the brats often. Cover grill between turns to reduce flare-ups. Hold the brats in the Savory Beer Sauce to keep them warm.

Savory Beer Sauce
For 10 brats:
2-14.5 ounce cans stewed tomatoes
2 bottles or cans beer
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix ingredients and bring to a simmer. Hold grilled brats in sauce until ready to eat. Do not let sauce boil.

Serve brats on brat buns, dressed with a bit of the sauce and your favorite condiments. Accompany with classic German side dishes like sauerkraut and potato salad.