Grilled Bison Brats with Homemade Spicy Mustard
By Andrew Zimmern
Lean bison makes a terrific bratwurst, especially when you balance it with pork fat, a warming spice blend, fresh herbs, and a little orange zest for brightness. The homemade mustard is worth the extra time too. It starts sharp and bitter, then mellows after a couple of days into something complex, punchy, and deeply satisfying on a grilled brat.
I get bison from my friends at Northstar Bison out of Wisconsin, they’re terrific and their products are fantastic. Check them out and tell them I sent you!
Grilled Bison Brats
Ingredients
For the homemade spicy mustard
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 cup brown or black mustard seeds
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup beer
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1/2 serrano pepper, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the bison brats
- 2 pounds bison meat, trimmed of thick silver skin, cubed, and very cold
- 1/2 pound pork fat, cubed, and very cold
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ice-cold water, plus 2 to 3 small ice cubes as needed
- Natural hog casings, soaked
- Neutral oil, for grilling
- Brat buns, for serving
- Sauerkraut, for serving
- Grilled jalapeños or Fresno chiles, optional
Special equipment
- Blender
- Meat grinder
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Sausage stuffer
Instructions
Make the mustard
In a nonreactive bowl or jar, combine the yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, apple cider vinegar, and beer. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, until the seeds are plump and have absorbed most of the liquid.
Transfer the soaked seeds and any remaining liquid to a blender. Add the horseradish, serrano, brown sugar, molasses, and salt. Blend to your preferred texture, from coarse and grainy to smoother and more spreadable.
Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 days before serving. The bitterness softens as it rests and the flavor becomes more balanced.
Make the brat mixture
Trim away any thick silver skin or connective tissue from the bison, then cube the meat and pork fat. Keep everything very cold. Cold meat grinds more cleanly and helps the sausage emulsify properly.
Grind the bison and pork fat together through a medium plate, alternating pieces of meat and fat as you feed them into the grinder.
Transfer the ground mixture to a large bowl. Add the garlic, salt, white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, sage, mustard powder, coriander, allspice, maple syrup, marjoram, thyme, and orange zest. Mix to combine.
Move the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons ice-cold water, then mix on low. Add 2 to 3 small ice cubes and continue mixing until melted and the sausage mixture turns sticky, tacky, and slightly paler in color. This helps emulsify the fat and gives the bratwurst a better texture.
Cook a small piece of the sausage mixture in a skillet or on the grill and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed before stuffing.
Stuff and rest the brats
Stuff the sausage mixture into soaked natural hog casings. Form 6- to 7-inch links, about the size of your buns. If air pockets form, massage them gently through the casing. If you have the time, refrigerate the brats uncovered overnight. This helps the casings dry slightly, which improves their snap when cooked.
Grill and serve
Lightly prick each bratwurst a few times with a thin skewer or tip of a knife. Grill over medium-low heat, turning gently, until browned and cooked through.
Let the brats rest briefly, then serve on buns with sauerkraut, homemade mustard, and grilled hot peppers if you like.
