Wiener Roast ~ Gawja-Style

It's hot. It's almost summer time. And it's only fitting after certain scandals unfolded this week -- now with a Georgia participant disclosed -- to blog about a good ol' fashioned wiener roast before it gets any closer to the 4th of July. Yes, Weinergate surfaced at the most appropriate time of year.

It is our humble opinion that the open flame provides a taste that cannot be beat whether it be beef, pork, fowl, seafood or tubed. So therefore, we share with you a recipe extravaganza of our tube steak favorites to whet your appetite. The patent ownership on this particular "grill utensil", as seen above, is rumored to be in litigation in 157 of the 159 counties here, in Georgia.

Mustardy Brats with Sauerkraut
Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens' Grill It! book
PREP: 25 MINUTES GRILL: 20 MINUTES MAKES: 6 SANDWICHES

1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small)
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard or Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cup drained sauerkraut
6 uncooked bratwurst (about 1¼ pounds)
6 hoagie buns, split and toasted
Yellow mustard or Dijon-style mustard (optional)

In a small skillet cook sweet pepper and onion in hot butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in brown sugar, the 1 teaspoon mustard, and caraway seeds. Add sauerkraut; toss gently to combine.

Fold a 36x18-inch piece of heavy foil in half to make an 18-inch square. Place sauerkraut mixture in the center of foil. Bring up 2 opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold the remaining ends to completely enclose sauerkraut mixture, leaving space for steam to build. Use the tines of a fork to pierce the skin of each bratwurst several times.

For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place bratwurst and foil packet on the grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 20 to 25 minutes or until bratwurst are no longer pink and juices run clear (160°F), turning bratwurst and foil packet once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirectcooking. Place bratwurst and foil packet on grill rack over the burner that is turned off. Grill as directed.)

Serve bratwurst in toasted buns with sauerkraut mixture and, if desired, additional mustard.


"Bacon-Wrapped Gawja Dawgs"
Courtesy of Sam Zien’s Just Grill This!
MAKES 6 DOGS

1 onion, cut into thin slices
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 kosher dogs (see BTW)
6 slices bacon
6 hot dog buns (good ones)

TO SERVE
Mayo
Diced jalapeños
Mustard
Diced tomatoes

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

In a nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the onion and peppers in the oil, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Wrap each dog with a piece of bacon and secure with toothpicks. Grill until the bacon is done -- about 8 minutes. When the bacon is done, so is the dog--remove from the grill.

Lightly toast the buns on the grill. To serve, put some mayo on a bun, add the bacon dog, then add the onions and peppers. Add mustard, jalapeños, and diced tomatoes and serve.


Grilled Bratwurst Hoagies with Creamy Coleslaw
Courtesy of Aaron McCargo, Jr.'s Simply Done Well Done
Serves 4

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
4 bratwurst sausages
4 steak or hoagie rolls, 8 to 10 inches long each, split

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill and oil and the grill grates, or heat a countertop grill.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sugar, sour cream, cider, chives, lemon juice, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the cabbages with the dressing. Use right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Grill the bratwurst, turning frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through and browned. Put some coleslaw in each roll and top with a bratwurst. Top with a little more cabbage, if desired, and serve.

Now, top any of those recipes off with a new found friend of ours called . . .

Maggiano's Raspberry Beret

1 1/4 oz SKYY Infusions Blood Orange
1 oz Pineapple Juice
2 oz Fresh Agave Sour
1 oz Fresh Raspberries
1 oz Ginger Ale
1 Scoop Orange Sherbet

Fresh Agave Sour:
1 Cup Lime Juice
1 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups Agave Nectar

Instructions:
1. Agave Nectar Sour: Combine Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Water & Agave Nectar in separate container until well mixed.
2. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka, Pineapple Juice, Agave Sour and Fresh Raspberries. Shake.
3. Fill glass with ice and strain drink over the ice.
4. Top with Ginger Ale and a scoop of Orange Sherbet.

With these recipes, a few of your favorite sides from your local deli, along with cameras to capture the event, you've got the fixings for a Weinergate Party that'll do you proud. Go forth and prepare for The Fourth!