Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Brats with Cabbage and Apples

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

 Sounds Teutonic, doesn’t it, and this is a classic combination in some parts of the world. As a warning, unless you like this combination of flavors (and I do, but see DH’s rating), this may not be the dish for you.

Sausage, cabbage, potatoes, apples. Yum. But it is a heavy meal and may not be for everyone. Probably best to serve this in the dead cold of winter rather than a sunny spring day! Hey! Maybe you could invite the neighbors in for an OctoberFest meal! Get more beer!

Brats with Cabbage and Apples (serves 4-6)

4-6 brats

12 ounces Guinness Extra Stout

2 Granny Smith apples, cut into eighths

½ red onion, cut into slices

½ pound baby potatoes, halved

1 cup apple cider

½ head of red cabbage, cut into slices

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven, soak brats in Guinness Extra Stout for three hours.

After three hours, turn the heat to high and boil for 15 minutes. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking until a thick sauce forms on the bottom and brats are browned. Remove brats to a dish and cover with foil.

Deglaze the pot with cider. Immediately add apple slices, onion, and potatoes.Stir around to coat with deglazing liquid.

Add cabbage and drizzle on apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add brats back in and stir to combine.

Simmer all ingredients for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately for freshest taste.

   

DH’s Rating: 3 Tongues Up

“Too heavy. I feel too full.”

“Yeah, but how about the taste? Did you like how it tasted?”

“Yeah . . . But why was it so sweet? That tasted funny to me.”

I explained the apples and apple cider and he understood, but said he wouldn’t be requesting this for a future meal. Okay. I’ve got lots of stuff he likes better. Don’t worry about him. He won’t starve.

Month-of-Few Ingedients: Drunken Brats

No, I’m not talking about your neighbor’s kids. This is a food post, right?

Pronounce this: brots (short o). The grown-ups’ hot dog. Well, not really, but like hot dogs, you don’t want to know what goes into these luscious fat babies. Just enjoy them once or twice a year and try not to think about what you’re putting into your body.

Okay, public service health announcement done.

I call this the anti-braising method. As you may recall from past posts, braising is browning meat and then stewing it to develop flavors and finish cooking. Well, you’re going to stew the meat, then brown it. Same thing, but in reverse. Sort of. Kinda.

We do enjoy brats on occasion and since my version has so few ingredients, I thought it perfect for this month of, well, few ingredients. We don’t usually put the brats on a bun, but of course you can butter and toast some buns if you like. We just put them on a plate with some baked beans and cole slaw and call it dinner.

Drunken Brats (servings for 2-5 depending on appetite)

5 brats

1 medium onion, sliced in rings

2 very large garlic cloves (or equivalent smaller ones), crushed

3 cups Guinness Extra Stout (2 bottles)

Place the five brats in a large bowl.

Cut up onions and smash garlic. Put on top of the brats.

Pour beer over the onions, garlic, and brats. Refrigerate for two hours.

In a large pan, cook the brats and beer mixture over medium heat for 12 minutes after it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Pour most of beer into a skillet and cook over medium heat to reduce the liquid by three-fourths. It will start to thicken.

Add back in the remaining beer mixture and brats. Cook on medium-low heat to reduce the liquid more. Turn the brats to coat all sides.

When the mixture is thick, serve immediately, heaping onions on top of the brats.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up  DH was surprised to see this appear for dinner. “We have this in the summer,” he said. “Okay. You don’t have to eat it. I have some Tuna Surprise for you.” He reached for his plate and loaded catsup and mustard on the brat. “You know I like brats.” Yes, I do.

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Facebook: Sharon Arthur Moore-Author writes the “Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time” blog. It's posting its annual February Month-of recipes. This month's recipes have 2-5 ingredients. You’ll love Drunken Brats at http://bit.ly/2loeVDU