Touchdown Brat Sliders

Summer project planning, pit maintenance, fried catfish. The summer heat is building the way a roux builds: slowly at first, then all at once, and when it hits, the only response is to keep stirring. Stirring the roux. Stirring the life. Stirring the pot of a family that is four at the table now (sometimes five when Luc comes home, sometimes three when Colette is at a friend\'s), and the stirring adjusts, and the adjustment is the skill, and the skill is: show up with the spoon regardless of how many bowls need filling.

The food this week was good. The company was better. The week was a week — not a milestone, not a crisis, just seven days of waking up and cooking and working and sleeping (six hours most nights now, bless Dr. Tran and the therapy that turned the water off) and being alive in Louisiana in the part of the year where the mosquitoes are back and the AC is straining and the only thing keeping the heat at bay is the cold beer and the knowledge that crawfish season is winding down and deer season is five months away and the calendar is a circle and the circle is the roux and the roux is everything.

Pit maintenance week means the smoker’s already hot by midafternoon, and when that’s the case, you’d be a fool not to throw something on it — something that doesn’t care whether there are three bowls on the table or five. Brat sliders are that something: forgiving on quantity, fast enough that nobody’s waiting around in the Louisiana heat, and sturdy enough to hold up next to a cold beer while the AC fights its losing battle inside. This is the recipe I keep coming back to when the week has been a week and the only thing I want to do is stand at the grill and not think too hard.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 8 sliders

Ingredients

4 bratwurst links
8 slider buns or small dinner rolls
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup beer (lager or pilsner)
2 tablespoons whole-grain or spicy brown mustard
4 slices Swiss cheese, halved
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: sauerkraut, sliced pickled jalapeños

Instructions

Simmer the brats. In a cast iron skillet or saucepan over medium heat, combine bratwursts and beer with enough water to cover halfway. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until cooked through, turning once.
Caramelize the onions. While brats simmer, melt butter with olive oil in a separate skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion slices, season with salt and pepper, and cook 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft.
Sear the brats. Transfer par-cooked brats to a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear 3–4 minutes per side until nicely charred and the casings are snapped tight.
Slice and build. Cut each brat in half crosswise to make 8 pieces. Slice each piece lengthwise if needed to lay flat on buns. Place on slider buns, top with a half-slice of Swiss cheese, a spoonful of caramelized onions, and a swipe of mustard.
Finish and serve. Close sliders and serve immediately. Add sauerkraut or pickled jalapeños if the crowd wants a little kick.

Nutrition (per serving)

Touchdown Brat Sliders — When the Pit’s Already Hot, You Feed Whoever Shows Up