Independence Day Intimations...

Hey kids.

It's Monday of the nice, long, 4th of July weekend. Lots of people are off from work. Thankfully, UL declared today a holiday as well, so this blogger doesn't have to sit in a two-hour class after making a muddy trek across campus.

There's going to be a lot of grilling going on tomorrow. I'd like to toss out a little recipe for beer and brats and see if it sticks. Here goes:

Brats (I prefer Johnsonville)
Two beers (good choices here for flavor: Killian's Red, Bass Ale, Red Stripe)
Two tablespoons/half of a stick of butter
Cajun Power "Uncle Easy's Tio Bueno Chipotle Sauce"
Optional: one onion, chopped

Use a large pot or, even better, a Dutch oven if you have one. Defrost the brats if necessary, then place in the pot. Pour in the beers, then drop in the butter and the onion. Give the mixture a couple of squirts of the Uncle Easy. For those precise folk out there who don't like to "eyeball it," (that's for you, Ali my love!), use about a teaspoon of the chipotle sauce.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it remain boiling for about a minute, then bring the heat down to medium. Let the brats simmer for about ten minutes or so.

Remove from heat and place the brats in a container. Next, pour the beer mixture in the container with the brats. Let cool, then cover.

When your coals are ready to go, grill the brats for about four minutes on each side. Serve on a hot dog bun with sauerkraut and/or honey mustard. For a pretty good honey mustard, get the generic "Great Value" honey mustard from Wal-Mart, then add lemon juice, a tablespoon or so of honey, salt, and the Uncle Easy's chipotle sauce used above. Stir and you're in business.

Enjoy Independence Day with your families, and be sure to weigh in on the issue mentioned in the post above this one!

Meauxses