June 12, 2012

"I would take a Johnsonville brat from the hand of a Koch brother if it were offered with the proper condiments and a good beer."

Citizen Dave explains Wisconsin values.

IN THE COMMENTS: The Farmer said: "Bravo, ex-Mayor Dave! And MadisonMan said: "Yes, Bravo -- except for the no ketchup part, you heathen!!!!" Original Mike said: "Ketchup on a brat??? MM, you're kidding, right?" Mr. D said: "Mayor Dave is right. No ketchup on a brat." And David-2 said:
MM - meet DH!

104 comments:

Farmer said...

Bravo, ex-Mayor Dave!

MadisonMan said...

Yes, Bravo -- except for the no ketchup part, you heathen!!!!

Original Mike said...

Ketchup on a brat??? MM, you're kidding, right?

Farmer said...

Yeah, that's not right MM.

Original Mike said...

"Do you think conservatives are going away any time soon?"

Well, yes. Mike Tate has made it his personal mission to put them all in jail.

paminwi said...

My goodness - you think Mayor Dave had too much beer before he wrote this article? I can hardly wait to see what the comments have to say - my guess is he will be skewered like a kabob.

Mr. D said...

Mayor Dave is right. No ketchup on a brat.

Anonymous said...

Good man Dave! Sauerkraut and good mustard only need apply to any brat served in Wisconsin.

And of course no Spotted Cow, darn it.

Farmer said...

I don't know, Allie. I think yellow mustard is perfectly acceptable, and there's no reason you can't pile some sauteed onion on that brat too.

Anonymous said...

Farmer, OK on the sauteed onion or get wild and make it raw onion! I don't know about that cheap mustard though.

Original Mike said...

Allie: "Sauerkraut and good mustard"

Farmer: "I think yellow mustard is perfectly acceptable"


As long as we're all in agreement that yellow mustard is not good mustard, I think we can give you a pass, Farmer.

Chuck66 said...

A good grilled brat does not need condiments. There is so much flavor anyway. That is why I prefer Johnsonvilles. Much juicy flavor. So just a fresh bun and a little ketchup.

Michael Haz said...

"... the sausage of reconciliation.."

Anyone who has ever dated or married understands this phrase.

Rocketeer said...

From the opinion piece:

"We live in a world of well-funded special interests and lots of people who are not liberals."

Am I the only one who laughed out loud at that? I don't think he means it the way I read it, that's for sure.

Chuck66 said...

Even mentioning the Jew businessmen Kochs is kind of goofy. That these men are some kind of evil greedy peeople.

Patrick said...

Yes, Bravo -- except for the no ketchup part, you heathen!!!

MM just dropped a few ticks in my estimation.

chickelit said...

Anyone who has ever dated or married understands this phrase.

Garage Mahal is sore afraid of the sausage of reconcilation. That's because he's got Walker confused with link

edutcher said...

Problem is, the Lefties aren't about sense, only winning.

CWJ said...

Michael Haz@12:30

Thread winner!

32.and.Stewart said...

AllieOop said "And of course no Spotted Cow, darn it.

What is wrong with Spotted Cow?

David-2 said...

MM - meet DH!

Original Mike said...

"What is wrong with Spotted Cow?"

It tastes like beaver piss. We established that yesterday.

garage mahal said...

Johnsonville has those hard little grisly pieces in their brats. Not sure exactly what it is, and I'm afraid to guess. Ewwww. No thanks!

Original Mike said...

Or dirty dishwater.

David-2 said...

MM - meet DH!

(This comment got deleted a few seconds ago: maybe the system thought it was sp-m because it only had a link? Anyway, I thought it was so relevant and important I posted it again.)

Unknown said...

Johnsonville? Nay, say rather Klement or Usinger, which, IMHO,taste far superior.

leslyn said...

edutcher, raspberries! Come out of your grinch cave and enjoy a brat. With ketchup and yellow mustard. (No sophisticate Waukesha brats for me.) Cheese curds on the side.

Alex said...

Personally I prefer Trader Joe's brats! I always consume mine with artisanal cheeses and Merlot.

Alex said...

Nobody I mean nobody puts ketchup on a brat. That's a crime against food!

Anonymous said...

LOL, okay Leslyn, guilty as charged.

MadisonMan said...

Ketchup and sauerkraut on a brat. Nothing finer!

Don't wear a white shirt.

nichole said...

Yellow mustard varies in quality like any other condiment. I recommend trying Raye's Down East Schooner - it is phenomenal. Nothing like French's Yellow or Heinz Mild. If you're near Middleton you can sample it at the Mustard Museum.

http://www.rayesmustard.com

That said, brown on a brat, all the way.

tim in vermont said...

So I am just curious, since this seems like a family argument, I will stay out of it, but do you serve the cheese curds on french fries with beef gravy, as they should be served?

Original Mike said...

Forget the brat. You can't mix ketchup and sauerkraut.

Ann Althouse said...

"This comment got deleted a few seconds ago: maybe the system thought it was sp-m because it only had a link? Anyway, I thought it was so relevant and important I posted it again."

It did in fact get filtered as spam, but so did this one. I released both.

Anonymous said...

Alex Ignatiev, so right you are! Usinger's has the best sausage and brats in Wisconsin, the hot Hungarians my absolute favorite. They have online store and ship in cryo boxes.

MadisonMan said...

Usinger's also has fabulous bacon. Mmmm. Bacon.

@Tim in VT, that sounds vaguely poutine-ish (that is, disgusting). Cheese curds should be eaten out of the bag, and they should squeak.

Rocketeer said...

So I am just curious, since this seems like a family argument, I will stay out of it, but do you serve the cheese curds on french fries with beef gravy, as they should be served?

Ah, poutine. Sounds so dirty, tastes so good.

Quaestor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Original Mike said...

"PBS programs like Nova"

I think you mean the David Koch Hour.

Thank you, David Koch!

The Drill SGT said...

The Wif would go with Mister Mustard.

I like a German style like

Thomy Scharfer Senf or Lowensenf.

In a pinch, I could go with Colman's

on the Brats?

I favor Nurnberger's

leslyn said...

12:52 PM Alex said... Nobody I mean nobody puts ketchup on a brat. That's a crime against food!

Ah, the sweetness of ketchup on a spicy, juicy pork brat. It finishes with a hint of vinegar aftetaste and a slightly smoky feel in the south. MMMMM.

ndspinelli said...

Ketchup, on ANY type of sausage, including a hot dog, should be a felony. Cheeseheads are food heathens.

Peter said...

"We live in a world of well-funded special interests and lots of people who are not liberals."

It's as if they simply don't or won't recognize that public-sector unions are a special interest- and one that has been funded by "contributions" that are less than voluntary.

But what's with this demonizing of the Kochs, anyway? What's a Koch ever done to you?

Rusty said...

You never put Ketchup on any sausage.

Chip can back me up on this.

tim in vermont said...

When I lived in Florida I had a standing joke that if you wanted to identify the NYers in any crowd, just put ketchup on a hot dog and see who screams.

Yeah, I like it, I like it on brats too. Live and let live. I can't imagine being offended that other people prefer something else, even if it is mostly crocodile outrage.

Original Mike said...

"Ketchup, on ANY type of sausage, including a hot dog, should be a felony. Cheeseheads are food heathens."

What? The cheesehead vote here is united, except for MM. I think we should look into his heritage.

tim in vermont said...

MM is a splitter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=193hOTS5xUI

Alex said...

I only use the finest artisanal mustards for my organic brats.

Alex said...

More than 27% of Wisconsin's adults obese, report finds

90% of which were found at the protest sites.

Original Mike said...

How do we even know MM is from Wisconsin? We have only his word on it.

Sorun said...

If Dave ever runs for mayor of Picnictown, I'm voting for him! (Otherwise, no way).

Blue@9 said...

Only savages or children (same thing) put ketchup on their brats or sausages.

I prefer spicy sausages. In DC I really loved half-smokes--best with chili, mustard, and onions. I like beer sausages here in SF (spicy mix of pork and beef), grilled unions, hot peppers, and brown mustard.

MadisonMan said...

What? The cheesehead vote here is united, except for MM. I think we should look into his heritage.

Dad's ancestors came to Madison in 1856. Mom's grandfather was born in Milwaukee in 1869.

I was born out of state, however. Perhaps that explains things.

Michael Haz said...

Ketchup on a brat is an offense against nature, like putting kecthup on a corned beef sandwich.

But then, I'm an anti-ketchite. Give me mustard, or give me nothing!

Johnsonville brats are good, but the best is Trig's (Eagle River), the winner of several Wisconsin State Fair blue ribbons.

Whichever brand of brats, they are better if first cooked in kettle of hot beer and sliced onions, then browned on a grill. To think otherwise is a failure of the nuances of brat cooking, a thing done by flatlanders.

Someone mentioned bacon. Neuske's is the best. Period.

Original Mike said...

"like putting kecthup on a corned beef sandwich."

Well, that image is going to give me nightmares.

Anonymous said...

I am a mustard guy myself, but if you are to use ketchup, as least use fancy dijon ketchup.

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard "flatlanders" since high school, when I spent some time abroad with some kids from Wisconsin. Do Wisonsinites still refer to those south of the border as "FIBs"?

Michael Haz said...

Do Wisonsinites still refer to those south of the border as "FIBs"?

Most of the time, no. It's a behavior-related name.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Ok. So I have to ask.

What are Brats. Like hot dogs? Hebrew National? I guess I should look and see if they have them in the store here.

I see that Haz has a recipe for cooking them.

Rusty said...

tim in vermont said...
When I lived in Florida I had a standing joke that if you wanted to identify the NYers in any crowd, just put ketchup on a hot dog and see who screams.

Yeah, I like it, I like it on brats too. Live and let live. I can't imagine being offended that other people prefer something else, even if it is mostly crocodile outrage.


Yeah. I bet you put katchup on your eggs too. We know all about guys like you. We have a file on you.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Do you eat them with a bun, like a hot dog or on a plate and sliced up.

traditionalguy said...

Brats are crunchy outside from grilling and spiced just right. The are not kosher because they are pork. But they are damned good when consumed hot and juicy off the grill.

I suspect they are German in origin and therefore must be eaten with a tankard of Ale served by a buxom blonde frauline.

Anonymous said...

While wearing a pointy helmet and goosestepping like Sgt. Schultz.

Sorun said...

"Do you eat them with a bun, like a hot dog or on a plate and sliced up."

They're sliced up on a plate and dipped in ketchup.

chickelit said...

I'll pretty much eat any brand brat. I'll even eat them cold and naked, leftover in the fridge.

No ketchup for me but it's not the wurst thing you can do. Kraut and mustard and onions, usually raw. Even added cheese is good on brats, but that's a heretical foible. Potato salad on the side helps and of course so does the beer to wash it down.

Michael Haz said...

DBQ - Brats (bratwurst) are the German equivalent of Italian sausage. Same meat, different seasoning. The best ones are fresh, or fresh frozen; never buy them pree-cooked.

They are best cooked by first simmering in a pan of beer and sliced onions, then finished on a grill until dark brown.

Loyalists eat them with a bit of kraut, raw onion and brown mustard. To bun or not to bun is a personal preference.

Good ones are quite habit forming.

chickelit said...

Dust Bunny Queen said...
Do you eat them with a bun, like a hot dog or on a plate and sliced up.

Brat buns!

Farmer said...

Do Wisonsinites still refer to those south of the border as "FIBs"?

Speaking of FIBs and sausage, if you ever happen to be on the Capitol Square on a weekday, get yourself a Chicago dog, Polish or Italian beef/sausage combo at the FIBs cart!

Also, it's perfectly acceptable for children to put ketchup on hot dogs.

MadisonMan said...

Even added cheese is good on brats

Didn't they used to make brats with cheese mixed in with the pork? (Maybe they still do) I never saw the point of that.

I don't think I'd like cheese on a brat, but I've never tried it.

Alex said...

No matter how nice it looks going in, it's always the same brown paste at the other end. That always pissed me off!

chickelit said...

That always pissed me off!

Is your plumbing hooked up right, Alex?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

@ Haz

They sound good cooked that way!!! I often bbq italian sausages when I'm cooking chicken on the grill. I also par boil the sausages a bit in a broth/white wine mix.

Kind of the same idea. I'll have to buy some. The sauerkraut sounds good too!! But I will never use that horrible ballpark yellow mustard in anything other than making a bbq sauce.

CachorroQuente said...

American bratwurst is a German style sausage made popular in the US by German immigrants in Wisconsin. Typically the sausages are grilled and may be par-boiled in beer or other liquids. The Wisconsi9n way is to serve them on buns with condiments. Onions and mustard are most common. Sometimes sweet relish. Personally, I like mine with raw onions, spicy mustard and diced, fresh jalapenos. Current favorite mustard for brats is Sandwich Pal by Woeber's. Couldn't call it Sandwich Pal if it weren't true, could they?

Michael Haz said...

DBQ - The preferred brand is Johnsonville. Are they a serious bidness? Check this photo of the 18 wheeler tank truck they had converted into a grill.

Pro tri: Before girlling the brats spread thinly sliced onions on the charcoal. Works great with steak as well. People you never met may follow their noses to your door, so wear clothes.

Anonymous said...

I confess I put jalapeños on my brats. I like 'em hot.

chickelit said...

Before girlling the brats spread thinly sliced onions on the charcoal.

Does the girling part involve sausage envelopment?

Michael Haz said...

Allie - Giardiniara goes on everything. Even on peanut butter sandwiches.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

People you never met may follow their noses to your door, so wear clothes

LOL I'll give that a try....the onions I mean. We have a wireless bell that tells us when someone is coming down the driveway. Sometimes it is a false alarm for the deer :-)

Jalapenos sound good too! Must get to the store.

Anonymous said...

Michael H, good gawd man, you must have a cast iron stomach.

Shanna said...

par-boiled in beer

Really? That sounds weird. Deep fried is actually delicious, surprisingly. (I'm thinking of a polish sausage though, not a 'brat' specifically - not sure if they are the same as what you've been describing or not.)

Original Mike said...

"Sometimes sweet relish."

Dill relish, please.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely dill relish. Sweet pickles and relish, gak.

Shanna, hmmm deep fried brats, don't know how that would go over here.

Rusty said...

Dust Bunny Queen said...
Do you eat them with a bun, like a hot dog or on a plate and sliced up.


On a french roll.
All sliced up is tres euro.

chickelit said...

Giardiniara goes on everything.

Don't you get that from drinking unfiltered lake water?

Boil it first and avoid the shits.

Original Mike said...

"They're sliced up on a plate and dipped in ketchup."

Sorun is trying to make you look like a fool, DBQ.

Bad, Sorun. Bad.

Original Mike said...

Sweet pickles and relish, gak.
Spotted cow, gak.
Ketchup on brats, gak.

You sure you're a librul, Allie?

The Drill SGT said...

Rusty said...
Dust Bunny Queen said...
Do you eat them with a bun, like a hot dog or on a plate and sliced up.


Girl, you need to get out more.

The back end of Bratwurst is wurst, which is the German word for sausage (pork most likely, but also beef or veal).

Brat come from the German word for finely chopped meat.

Hence Bratwurst

Each town in Germany has a wurst specialty. a Frankfurter, is a bratwurst from Frankfurt. a Nurnberger is a wurst from Nurnberg. (my fav)

In the US, your generic WI brat resembles a short Thuringerwurst.

Did I say Nurnbergers or Fränkische Bratwurst are the best?

The Germans often each their brats on small hard rolls, called Brotchen (baby bread)

In your case, a suitable sour dough roll would be the best fit.

spicy mustard is a requirements.

The simmer in beer/onions then grill is nearly universal.

kraut is good

Chris said...

Ketchup on a brat is just another indication of the decline of Midwestern Civilization...

"No, I won't condemn anyone for putting ketchup on a hot dog. This is the land of the free. And if someone wants to put ketchup on a hot dog and actually eat the awful thing, that is their right.

It is also their right to put mayo or chocolate syrup or toenail clippings or cat hair on a hot dog.

Sure, it would be disgusting and perverted, and they would be shaming themselves and their loved ones. But under our system of government, it is their right to be barbarians."

-Mike Royko

Anonymous said...

I like Spotted Cow, I was lying :).

Anonymous said...

The word brat actually means "to fry" or "roast"in German, not minced.

ed said...

You do NOT put ketchup on a brat.

Man Law!

ndspinelli said...

There are only 2 places of which I'm aware, where they deep fry hot dogs. The first one I experienced was Rutt's Hut in North Jersey. The second is Schuetts in downtown Watertown, Wi. If anyone else knows of a place that does so let me know.

When Burger king first opened in the 60's they deep fried their hot dogs but I never had one. Deep fried dogs are wonderful. I'm amazed more places don't serve them.

ken in tx said...

Yellow mustard, Frenches or most any brand with turmeric, stops muscle cramps. My blood pressure medication leads to some of the most painful cramps I have ever had—in muscles I didn't know I had. A table spoon of yellow mustard will stop the cramp in less than five minutes.

I love both brats and Italian sausages.

ken in tx said...

BTW, Johnsonville costs about $2 more than other brands around here.

I had to add Johnsonville to the blogger dictionary.

ed said...

Personally I prefer to fry my dogs on the stovetop in a carbon steel pan. Then into a flour tortilla with shredded cabbage, thinly sliced (long way) dill pickles, chopped onions and Pulaski Polish style stone ground mustard.

Frankly I detest hotdog or hamburger buns. They don't have any other function and they're terrible at their purported jobs. A flour or corn tortilla does a much better job of keeping everything together, you get less carbs to fill you up so that leaves more room for beer and brats.

Plus you can use the same tortillas for hamburgers or fish tacos, regular tacos or fajitas. Or whatever. I also like making banh mi sandwiches using tortillas.

Ok so I'm a freak. :)

ndspinelli said...

ed, You are not a freak! I will try the tortilla/hot dog and I bet it's a winner. I love to mix cultures regarding food w/ the exception being the Irish culture. I abide all Irish drink, but their food is horseshit.

virgil xenophon said...

I just KNEW that I was in good company here at Althouse's! ONLY mustard, NEVER ketchup! Although born and raised a "Prairie Stater" we always used mustard. Same goes for hamburgers/cheeseburgers in my neck of the woods.. (Plus onion & relish/pickles, natch) Covering some of the other condiment bases touched upon here, I'll opine that a corn beef sandwich needs worcestershire sauce and nothing else, while I use either the latter or Teriyaki sauce on "Steakburgers" (sans bun on plate) My perfect brat meal? Brats on a plate with saurkraut, good yellow mustard (tho plain yellow good also) a hunk of sharp chedder cheese, German red potato salad, a hunk of pumpernickle bread and washed down with a good really heavy dark German beer (YMMV in choice) Simple but heavenly fare!

Michael Haz said...

My mustard loving friends, you may not realize it but the National Mustard Museum is located in Middleton, WI, a Madison suburb.

Petunia said...

Good old Heinz ketchup on the brats I eat.

Born and raised in Wisconsin. Came back 13 years ago after a 15-year absence. Cheesehead to the core.

ed said...

"My perfect brat meal? Brats on a plate with saurkraut, good yellow mustard (tho plain yellow good also) a hunk of sharp chedder cheese, German red potato salad, a hunk of pumpernickle bread and washed down with a good really heavy dark German beer (YMMV in choice) Simple but heavenly fare!"

The only thing anybody could say to that would be "Can I have seconds?".

Good choices!

Greg said...

One hundred comments, and no mention of stadium sauce?

Curious George said...

"Michael Haz said...
My mustard loving friends, you may not realize it but the National Mustard Museum is located in Middleton, WI, a Madison suburb."

Let's be honest, it's not a museum, it's a mustard store. The owner Barry Levenson is a nutcase. A former client, who makes specialty mustards and pretzels, says his scam is to have a "mustard contest" requiring contestants to send significant quantities of their mustard for "tasting". He then sells it.

As an aside, there is more than one hot dog stand in Chicago that will refuse to put ketchup on a hot dog. You have to do it yourself. Poochies in Skokie makes you go outside.

ndspinelli said...

Curious George, The mustard asshole is an attorney. Perfect, don't you think?