Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

> Interesting. With rare exception, never had the problem. I only buy
> natural casing dogs and buy all sorts of sausages. I just put them on
> a heated grill and let them go. Never bothered with the par cooking
> either.
>
> No one in my house has ever complained.
>
> Maybe the way you handle them makes them stiff.

SNORK!!SPLORT!! Ed hits a 4-dinger!
Seriously.I've had less casing problems from sheepgut than from piggut.
Seems thinner,more flexible and is ribbed for HER pleasure.

monroe(parboiling in beer=alcohol abuse. You'll go to hell for that)

I have the same problem when I cook them to eat as a separate dish (baked in a cast iron skillet at 425 F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 10 minutes). The casings are tough, and yes they do pop when you bite them.

However, I sometimes cook them along with sauerkraut (cook in skillet as above, then add to a pot with sauerkraut and simmer for an hour or two). When I do this, the brats' casings are very tender, in fact the brats will break up if you stir the stuff very much. I guess the acidity of the vinegar breaks down the casings.

You BBQ guys might try soaking them in vinegar for a couple of hours before grilling...not sure if that will affect the flavor in a negative way.

Try piercing each sausage before grilling the casing end up being way more tender, I soak mine in bbq sauce after piercing, Yummy.

JoannotJoann🖕

On Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 6:35:55 AM UTC-7, wrote:
> I have the same problem when I cook them to eat as a separate dish (baked in a cast iron skillet at 425 F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 10 minutes). The casings are tough, and yes they do pop when you bite them.
>
> However, I sometimes cook them along with sauerkraut (cook in skillet as above, then add to a pot with sauerkraut and simmer for an hour or two). When I do this, the brats' casings are very tender, in fact the brats will break up if you stir the stuff very much. I guess the acidity of the vinegar breaks down the casings.
>
> You BBQ guys might try soaking them in vinegar for a couple of hours before grilling...not sure if that will affect the flavor in a negative way.

Well as an actual Krizman I'll say that you should simmer their smoked sausage in a liquid and then with sauerkraut, and the skins will not be tough at all. They're cured and precooked, so no need to overdo it.