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Bratburgers

Bratburger

I bet you’ve never heard of a burger quite like this before! It’s a bratwurst-and-pork burger with sauerkraut, topped with maple-dijon sauce, hot mustard, sweet pickle relish and more sauerkraut, all on a pretzel bun. See, didn’t I say you hadn’t heard of it?

What’s that? You have? No way! From where? From me?!

Oh. Yeah. That’s right.

Well, I bet you haven’t read the recipe for it!

Bratburger patty

This is a relatively easy recipe with huge impact. Baking your own rolls for a sandwich is sort of going above and beyond the call of dinner, but the pretzel bread isn’t very difficult to make, and it’s totally worth all the steps in the recipe. You could use a regular old bun if you wanted to and it would still be great, but I really, really love these pretzel buns. A lot.

I’ve now tested the recipe on 10 different people, including at least one or two who started out with strongly-held doubts and reservations (which I understand, because I’m not hot on bratwurst myself), and not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have yet to hear even a single tiny criticism. It’s a good burger. A really, really good burger. Tootle-tootle.

(Did that sound like a trumpet? It didn’t? Okay, let’s forget that happened.)

There’s no real need to worry about sides or dessert, because one bratburger makes a pretty huge, satisfying meal. To begin with, the patty is salty-sweet and super flavorful. Top it with tangy maple-mustard glaze, pickle relish and some extra kraut and you’ve got something totally unique. Pile all that on top of a soft pretzel shaped like a hamburger bun? Well. I hope you’ve canceled your afternoon appointments. This is going to require all your attention.

Bratburger

Oh, hang on! I just realized! The name of the recipe kind of sounds like a trumpet! See? Brrrrat brrrat brrrraaaaaaatburgers!

Still no?

All right, forget it.

Notes: If you’re not cooking for six, you have two options. You can make the six 1/4-lb. patties and put the uneaten ones in the fridge for a few days to be reheated in the microwave later, because they hold up just fine. Or you can instead make four 3/8-lb. patties, or three generous 1/2-lb. patties, or two excessive 3/4-lb. patties, or an amazing one-and-a-half-pound patty for one. Holy life expectancy, don’t make that last one. Please.
[recipe]

Bratburgers

Makes 6 burgers

  • 6 Pretzel Rolls
  • 1/2 cup sauerkraut (plus more for topping)
  • 1 lb bratwurst
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 3/4 cup panko
  • 1 egg white (handy tip: use the yolk for your pretzel rolls!)
  • Celery seed
  • 1/2 cup dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • Mustard, pickle relish, jalapeño peppers (as desired) for toppings
  1. Drain the 1/2 cup sauerkraut by placing it between paper towels and squeezing out the moisture. Do this a few times if necessary, until it seems pretty dry, and chop it roughly into smaller pieces.
  2. Remove the bratwurst from its casing and place it into a large bowl. Add the ground pork, chopped sauerkraut, panko, and egg white, and mix everything together gently with your hands just until combined. Be careful not to overwork it or the burger may be tough.
  3. Shape the meat mixture into six patties and sprinkle lightly with celery seed.
  4. Cook each patty over medium-high heat, either on a grill or in a lightly greased skillet, for about five minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.
  5. While the patties are cooking, combine mustard and syrup in a small bowl. When the patties are ready, place each on a pretzel roll and top with maple-mustard glaze, more sauerkraut, relish, and jalapeños, according to your taste. Enjoy hot.

[/recipe]

Kristina Ackerman

Kristina Ackerman is a busy freelance web designer, living and DIYing with her fella and their little fella in a cute old house in Atlanta, GA, USA.

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