Well my pucks should be here early this week, I'm planning on doing a pork butt in them next weekend. However I'm not sure I can wait that long. There is a meat market around here that sells some amazing brauts and has a smoker there so people can also eat lunch there. Their Jalapeno Cheddar Wursts are amazing. I figured that brauts wouldn't take as long and I might be able to do those right after I got home from work.
So just wondering, I know the butt is gonna have to be an overnight weekend thing, but how about the Brautwurst. Would I be able to throw those in there for a quick smoke and have them within a few hours?
Haven't done brauts yet, but suspect that they aren't too much different then regular sausage. If they don't have nitrite in them make sure to keep the temp above 200.
Brauts are my favorite sausage, but I rarely put them in the smoker. I like simmering them in beer, then put them in a bed of caramelized onions.
If uncured it is safer to not go below 225°F cabinet temperature. Check with the butcher to see if he added sodium nitrite, whether he did or not I would ask him how he cooks them for his lunch crowd.
I did some venison brats a couple weekends ago...
Soaked overnight in a can of beer and some onion + garlic powder.
Into the 250° Traeger for about 40 minutes or so, then into a foil pan beer bath for another 40 minutes.
I like to give them 2 hr Pecan with a cabnet temp of 250 F and pull out when the IT hits 160 F
If you dont smoke them try this.
Beer Brats:
Two teaspoons olive oil or butter, divided use
One sweet onion, sliced into one-quarter inch rings
Six bratwurst sausages or your favorite sausage
Six ounces beer
Heat one teaspoon olive oil or butter in a large skillet. Brown sausages
until deep golden brown. Remove to a platter.
To the drippings, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil or butter and the
onion rings. Toss the onions to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring often, until onions are limp and golden but not brown.
Return the sausages to the onions and add the beer. Cook over medium heat until beer has cooked bown to a syrup, about fifteen minutes.
Sausages may be served on buns with the onions or as an entrée.
Note: Dark beer gives a richer flavor, but any beer will work just fine.
Feel free to use this method with your favorite sausage or hot dogs.
I've done the beer thing before, that's normally the way I do brauts, I'm just itching to smoke something when my pucks get here. Figured those could be an after work smoke. Even apply the smoke and finish them on the grill. Ah well, may just wind up waiting till this weekend when I'll hopefully be able to smoke my pork butt. I looked the other day at sams but didn't see any. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place. I'll look again later this week, if they don't have them I'll hit up the meat market.
If you are looking to test your smoker, try smoking/cooking some small cuts of meats. You can safely smoke chicken; whole, split or parts. Chicken parts smoke/cook relatively fast. When I smoke/cook a lot of chicken parts I keep the dark and white meat on separate trays, since I cook them to a different internal temperature. Or you can apply some smoke to pork chops and then finish them on the grill. Many cold smoke steaks for about 40 minutes, then finish them on a grill, but cold smoke steaks are better if you refrigerate them overnight after you applied the smoke. Pork loins don't take that long, generally 4 - 6 hours total, and hard to mess up. Just don't overcook them. I take my pork loins out around 145°F.
Smoke em if you got em!!!!
I feel your pain. After seasoning my bds, i couldn't wait to try something out. I had some cashews laying around so figured what the hell. Tossed em in and voila, a tasty treat was born. I won't eat cashews now unless I've smoked em first. My point is, don't be afraid to toss anything in the ol smoker cause you never know what new creation you may stumble upon. I've also tried a lot of things that I've seen on the forum like ketchup, vegetables, cheeze, shellfish, salt, garlic powder etc etc etc... It's like a tasty surprise in every bite. Good Luck!