"Jack Schidt®" > wrote in message .com>...
> <Gar> wrote in message ...
> >
> > What is the benefit from parboiling? It seems many cheeseheads boil
> > in beer before grilling. I was kinda surprised when I saw a show
> > Bobby Flay did in Milwaukee that had the guests doing this. I grilled
> > some Brats for guests this summer and I was asked; "don't you boil
> > them first?" Obviously my answer was I never boil any meat, but he's
> > the one I've bitched about here who starts grilling (not Q) hours
> > before serving time and boils ribs. <gack> Anyway, I tried boiling
> > brats in beer and not only did the brats not take on any beer taste,
> > much of the real favor was gone and they were very dry.
> >
> > Am I missing something?
> >
>
>
> Boiling brats in beer before grilling is foolish IMO. I knew someone who'd
> boil them in beer right after taking them off the grill. Even more foolish.
> Beer is overused in cooking a lot of the time by beer drinkers.
>
> Bratwurst is german for fried wurst aka pan fried (It is a type, mind you,
> not just any fried wurst). My grandma used to poach the wurst in boiling
> water for a minute or 2 and then fry them. The result was the golden brown
> color on all sides of the wurst. She said something about it relaxing or
> softening the casing a bit so it would fry better. Old wives tale? Maybe,
> she was an old wife when she told me. Bu-u-ut, she did make the best
> looking bratwurst to sidle up to parsley potatoes I've ever seen.
>
> Anyway, I think someone copied that idea and then pasted it to grilling.
> Doesn't quite fit.
>
> Jack Wurst

Not too much difference, Jack, between boiling in beer or water - the
purpose is to get rid of a lot of the excess fat in the brats, and
also to make sure they are cooked through without making the casing
black from the grill. I think it makes a lot of sense to boil first
and grill second - that way, a lot of the fat is gone (but they are
still plenty juicy, at least at my house) but they still get a nice,
browned, grilled appearance. If you grill first and boil second (if
you are going to boil them at all), they lose that nice, grilled
crispy-ness on the outsides. This all relates to uncooked brats, of
course. If you buy cooked brats, and you don't care about too much
fat, then just grilling works great.

JMO, of course - you're free to do whatever you want with your brats.
>;-)

N.