Hickory Smoked Bratwurst

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In the summer of 2010 my cousin gave me a truck load of bricks. Feeling ambitious and with nothing better to do while camping for the weekend at my family’s private campground, I bought some mortar and started building a large brick oven designed to smoke meat. It took the entire summer to get the structure built with a number of family members pitching in to help me. Since then, I have sealed leaks and learned to vent it properly and have dialed it into a lean mean smokin’ machine.

One of my favorite things to cook are bratwurst, the smoke ads an extra element of yummy and they‘re an easy product to cook in the smoke.

For this recipe, I turn my charcoal grill into a smoker to cook brats, because most people don’t have giant brick smokers readily available to cook on. It’s a simple technique that can be applied to any grill. The meat slow cooks over indirect heat as it soaks in the flavorful smoke. The end result is a juicy bratwurst loaded with smoky flavor.

BEHIND THIS BITE

The brick smoker

Although I finished the structure of the brick oven more than two years ago, it wasn’t until Memorial Day this year that I got it dialed in and working efficiently. I had always had trouble maintaining a good cooking temperature and it seemed like I had to stoke it like an iron smelter to keep the cooking chamber at 250°.

My Uncle suggested I cover the vents built into the fire chamber (which I thought were necessary) to manage the heat better. I also sealed all the little cracks and put gaskets around the door openings.

All of this combined to turn the oven into a great one-of-a-kind outdoor novelty that is fun and much easier to get a good product from. This past holiday weekend most of the family stayed at the camp ground and we were able to enjoy a number of smoked delicacies - Included a big batch of smoked bratwurst.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 10 Bratz; 1 hour
3 1/2 lbs Bratwurst
1 lb Hickory chips soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Set up grill
Prepare coals in a charcoal starter, and submerge hickory chips into water. Once coals are ready pile to one side of grill. Place rack over coals and cover. Use vents to control heat of grill.

Sear brats, smoke
Place bratwurst directly over coals to sear the outside and create grill marks, 2 minutes per side. Move to cool side of grill. Place water-soaked wood chips on the coals, cover and smoke brats until cooked through, turning once during cooking. 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from grill, let rest 5 minutes, then serve.

Mesquite Smoked Pork Loin

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My niece thinks Justin Bieber is awesome. I can’t wait for “Bieber Fever” to disappear. She thinks I’m a little off my rocker because I like Metallica. Different people have different tastes.

As with music, food has a similar effect, and in the end, personal taste determines what each of us think is the best. Saturday, I entered the Turtle Days Barbecue Cook Off and much fun was had.

My favorite part was at then end when I got to sample the other entries. They were all great in their own way and each very different. The one I thought was the best (which wasn’t mine) didn’t win – And neither did I. That’s no rip because the winning entry was delicious, it just happened to capture the judges fancy that day.

For this recipe, I share my entry in the competition. I use a basic brine to bring out taste and add moisture to pork loin. Then use the charcoal and wood chips to add flavor. A sauce or rub could be added for more taste but I wanted the smoke from the grill to be the star of the show.

BEHIND THIS BITE
Two years ago, my first food column was based on the recipe I cooked at the Turtle Days Barbecue Cook Off. It’s hard to believe it has been that long. Things have changed so much since then – the column’s design, quality of the photography and my cooking knowledge to name just a few.

I would not have been able create the recipe I did for the competition this year back then. One of the many things I have improved on is cooking large cuts of meat on charcoal. That is why I choose to do a diagram of the grilling set up. It is really the secret to smoking and cooking large cuts of meat over coals.

In honor of this milestone I am going to post my first food column as well. I wasn’t blogging at the time, so I am posting it in the format of my current blog. Here it is!

JUNE 30, 2010 – LOIN CHOPS WITH PINEAPPLE-MUSTARD BBQ SAUCE

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In May, after 12 and-a-half years living in New York City, I relocated to Churubusco to pursue a career in the culinary world.

When a family member tipped me off to the Turtle Days BBQ competition, I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet some of the area’s finest pit masters and the perfect chance to create a new recipe to showcase.

I thought most competitors would be using tomato based sauces and meats that would take a while on the grill like ribs and bone-in chicken. To stand out, I created a mustard-based BBQ sauce, which I sweetened with pineapple, and used to smother inch-thick pork loin chops that would only require a half hour of actual cooking and resting. The end result was a tangy sweet sauce over melt-in-your-mouth meat with no bones to get in the way while it’s devoured. All said and done, I didn’t win, but I met some cool area cooks and created a killer sauce and recipe to share on Behind the Bites!

Eat well, cook often ...