Skip to content
Grilling bratwurst is more difficult than you think. There is always the risk that the food will burst. It doesn't matter whether you put the sausage on the grill or in the pan. Cutting the bratwurst can counteract this. But is that really helpful? With these tips and tricks, you can make the perfect bratwurst.
Cutting a Bratwurst - How to make the perfect Bratwurst
Cutting a Bratwurst - How to make the perfect Bratwurst
Key Takeaways
Cutting a bratwurst involves some risks. The bratwurst can dry out if you do it wrong. But cutting the bratwurst also has an advantage: it prevents it from bursting.
Cutting a bratwurst - yes or no?
When grilling or frying sausages and hot dogs, the question often arises as to whether or not to cut sausages. Does cutting sausages really help? Should you really always cut classic sausages? Does it have an effect or is it just a question of appearance? We'll get to the bottom of it all.
Cutting a Bratwurst - this is what you need
The right knife
If you want to cut your sausages , you need a sharp knife . With a blunt knife, you can quickly damage the surface of the sausage. You can also press the sausage too hard and squeeze out all the juice. This causes the sausage to lose its flavor.
If you want to know more about knives, here is a video .
The right bratwurst
boiled sausages
Boiled sausages are not at risk of juice leaking out when cut. They are therefore very suitable for this type of preparation. This type of sausage can also be grilled directly or indirectly on the grill. You can of course also put it in a pan and fry it.
raw sausages
A raw bratwurst can be either a coarse bratwurst or a fine bratwurst or a medium-coarse bratwurst . Raw bratwursts include: the Thuringian bratwurst, the Franconian bratwurst , the Nuremberg bratwurst , the Coburg bratwurst and many more. However, these are not particularly suitable for cutting. The risk of the sausages leaking and drying out is too great.
In this video you will learn how to make your own bratwurst.
The advantages and disadvantages
Prevent bursting (advantage)
When cooking the bratwurst, the skin can quickly tear and cause the sausage to burst. If you cut into the skin before preparing the bratwurst , you can prevent it from bursting. Make sure that you do not cut too deeply into the sausage and use both sides of the sausage . The sausage skin must not tear too much when you cut into it, so you have to be very careful. Otherwise, the juices from the sausage will leak out and it will lose its flavor. Alternatively, you can of course poke small holes in the sausage . This increases the surface area of the sausage and allows the bratwurst to be more evenly roasted. In short: it will crisp up more easily.
The drying out of sausages (disadvantage)
When cutting into the sausage skin, the sausage can dry out completely. If you cut too deeply into the sausage , the contents will come out. Cutting into the sausage can be particularly difficult for inexperienced or clumsy grillers. Also remember that there is a risk of pressing the sausage too deeply with the wrong knife and squeezing out the juice. This will cause the sausage to lose its flavor. You can quickly ruin your grilled food when frying or grilling and your sausages will become inedible.
When you buy a grilled sausage from a butcher , the sausage meat is usually stuffed into an edible casing. This protects the sausage and ensures that it stays juicy and retains its flavor. In addition, the natural material of the casing ensures that roasted flavors are passed on to the sausage meat without any problems. So you can fry the sausage in a pan or grill it and eat it whole without worry.
Do you still want to know whether you have to cut currywurst? We have a video for that here .
FAQ
To cut a bratwurst , you need a sharp knife. Make sure you don't cut too deeply. Make a light cut at both ends.
You cut a bratwurst so that it doesn't burst.
It is recommended to only cut boiled sausages .
You can prevent the sausage from bursting by cutting or inserting it.
You can cut boiled sausages without any worries. However, there is a risk that raw sausages will dry out.
Water can ensure that the sausages do not burst and at the same time the crust becomes crispy when frying.
Conclusion
From the Thuringian Rostbratwurst to the compact Nuremberger . When it comes to cutting the bratwurst before preparation in order to get even more out of the sausage , geography plays no role. The sausage, however, does. We have to weigh up the pros and cons carefully. Although cutting the bratwurst prevents it from bursting, the risk of spoiling the product before you can even put it on the grill is quite high. If you are using the wrong materials or are inexperienced, this type of preparation cannot be recommended. Of course, cutting ensures that the surface area is larger and the roasted aromas have more space. This can give the bratwurst an even crust and the effect is correspondingly greater, but since fresh bratwursts from the butcher are usually stuffed into an edible casing and can be eaten without hesitation, it is not worth taking this risk. The casing has an important function and ensures that the flavor is preserved by preventing the juice from leaking out. You also have to differentiate between raw and boiled sausages . Cutting boiled sausages is risk-free, but raw sausages can cause complications. Our recommendation is therefore very clear: do not cut sausages !
More tips on preparing bratwurst can be found in this video .
