What a bratwurst actually is
Bratwurst is a fresh German sausage, usually pork, sometimes pork and veal, ground fine and seasoned lightly enough that you can still taste the meat. The word is older than any of the arguments about it: brat from the Old High German for finely chopped meat, wurst for sausage. It is not smoked and it is not cured. It goes on the grill raw and comes off cooked, which is the whole difference between a bratwurst and a hot dog.
That also means it is perishable in a way a packaged link is not, and it is why a fresh brat from a counter tastes like something and a shelf-stable one tastes like salt. We make ours in house, alongside jalapeno cheddar and Italian, and what is in the case on a given day is what got made that week.
How to cook a bratwurst without ruining it
Most bratwurst is ruined in the first two minutes, by heat that is too high. Fat renders out, the casing splits, and what is left is dry meat in a burst tube. Everything below is about keeping the fat inside the sausage.
Do not prick the casing
This is the one people are most sure about and most wrong about. The casing is holding juice and rendered fat. Putting holes in it lets both out into the fire. You get flare ups and a dry sausage, and you have solved a problem you did not have.
Simmer first, sear second
Bring beer, or water, to a bare simmer, not a boil. A hard boil rips casings. Hold the brats in it for ten to fifteen minutes until they are cooked through, then move them to a hot grill for two or three minutes a side just to colour them. The simmer does the cooking, the grill does the crust.
You can run it the other way, searing first and finishing in the liquid, and plenty of people do. The order matters less than the principle: gentle heat to cook, hard heat only briefly, at one end or the other.
160°F, and that is not negotiable
Fresh pork sausage is done at an internal 160°F. A thermometer in the end of one link settles it in three seconds. Colour will not: a brat can look convincingly browned and be raw in the middle, because the casing browns long before the centre catches up.
Indirect heat if you are grilling dry
No simmering pot, just a grill? Build a two zone fire. Start the brats on the cool side with the lid down until they reach about 150°F, then move them over the coals to finish and colour. Straight onto high direct heat is how you get a black casing around a pink centre.
What to do with them once they are cooked
A roll, mustard, and something sharp. Sauerkraut is traditional for a reason, and so are quick pickled onions if you want the same job done with less commitment. Skip ketchup if there is a German within earshot.
They are also good well beyond a bun. Sliced into a pot of beans, browned and folded through a skillet of potatoes and peppers, or cut into coins for a board alongside mustard and a hard cheese. A fresh sausage is just seasoned ground pork in a convenient shape, and it behaves like it.
Where to Buy Bratwurst in Atlanta
Most searches for bratwurst near me turn up a grocery case, which is fine if you want the shelf-stable version and disappointing if you wanted the other thing. A butcher counter is where the fresh ones are, and a brat made this week eats nothing like one made in a plant last quarter.
You will find us at 2030 Main Street NW, Suite R204, in the One Riverside development in northwest Atlanta, open Mon–Fri 11am–7pm, Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 10am–5pm. We make our sausage in house, so what is in the case changes with what we made. Call the shop on (404) 941-9171 and ask what is in the case today, or ask at the counter, and we will tell you straight what is fresh.
You can order online for pickup. Feeding more than a grill's worth? Our catering menu runs off the same case, and if you want a quantity set aside for a party, get in touch early rather than the morning of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Frazie's make bratwurst in house?
Yes. Bratwurst is one of the sausages we make at the shop, alongside jalapeno cheddar and Italian. Ask at the counter what is in the case, because it changes with what we made that week.
Do you boil bratwurst before grilling it?
Simmer, do not boil. Hold them in barely bubbling beer or water for ten to fifteen minutes until cooked through, then give them two or three minutes a side on a hot grill for colour. A hard boil splits the casings and pushes the fat out.
What temperature should bratwurst be cooked to?
160°F internal. Fresh pork sausage is not done before that, and colour is not a reliable guide, because the casing browns well before the centre is cooked.
Should you poke holes in bratwurst before cooking?
No. The casing is holding the juice and the rendered fat. Piercing it drains both into the fire, which costs you flavour and gives you flare ups.