In less than a month, people all over the world will start preparing for Oktoberfest, which kicks off on September 19th in Munich, Germany. But you don’t have to travel across the Atlantic to get in on some Oktoberfest fun. If you live in the States, though, no worries because many cities – even small ones – have their own Oktoberfest celebrations stateside. And if you’re really feeling festive, you can cook up some sausages of your own like a pro with this easy how-to.
How to Cook Sausage
Sausages come in two varieties: fresh sausages, which are not cooked during processing and sausages which are cooked during processing such as smoked sausages and hot dog weiners. Since bratwursts and Italian sausages are generally uncooked during processing, we’re going to focus today on how to cook those types of sausages.
How to Cook Sausage the Traditional Way
The most traditional way to cook sausages is through a process called parboiling. You parboil sausages first and then fry them up a little in the pan to finish it off and char the skin. Start by taking fresh sausages and using a fork to poke a few holes through them. This will help the sausages cook through. Fill a large skillet with a 1/4 inch of water, and add sausages into the pan. Cook over medium heat, simmering covered, for 10-15 minutes or until the water has mostly evaporated out of the pan.
Take the cover off of the pan and continue cooking over medium heat until sausage turns brown and the skin gets crispy. Make sure to flip sausages every few minutes so that they cook evenly. Once finished, take off heat and serve warm with sauerkraut and spicy mustard (yum!)
If you want, you can also try parbroiling the sausage in beer, instead of water, in the skillet. A quick tip: choose a beer that’s lighter, as stronger beers tend to have stronger flavors that will overpower the sausage.
How to Cook Sausage on the Grill
Cooking up a sausage on the grill is a uniquely American pastime, and one that is perfect for both Summer and Fall seasons. The tricky part is actually making sure the sausage comes out perfect on the grill. Cook it at too high a temperature and you risk burning the outside without fully cooking the interior of the sausage or end up with a dried out sausage and casing – not good.
To start, don’t poke holes in the sausage. You’ll want to start heat your grill to 300-350 degrees. Start by cooking the sausages over indirect heat for 6-7 minutes. In fact, you can boil them in hot water before popping them onto the grill, as a way to cut down on grilling time. Although, keep in mind that the most important thing you can do when cooking sausages on a grill is to take it slow. Sausages need time to cook, and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
How do you prefer your sausages? What’s your favorite flavor combination? Share with us in the comments.
