Should you parboil brats? Nope. Science tells you why
Tempers will flare up quicker than flames from pork fat hitting hot coals when telling a backyard grill master how to grill bratwurst. Specifically, if it’s best to parboil or not.
Grilling cookbook authors including Jamie Purviance, Steven Raichlen and the America’s Test Kitchen team extol parboil benefits. Shorter grill times and adding beer flavor are the biggest gains.
Johnsonville Sausage bratwurst packages instruct grillers to toss fresh brats directly onto the grill.
Ralph Stayer, retired CEO of Johnsonville, said his brat grilling method skips parboiling in favor of enjoying a cocktail while grilling the brats.
Uncooked brats need more turning, which includes more double-click tong checks, which are two of best reasons to grill anything.
Experts are divided on the parboil debate, but not the science. And it’s not good news for team parboil.
Jeff Sindelar, associate professor in the meat and science department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the uniform heat of parboiling provides more ease of cooking and that water (or beer, in this case) is one of the best mediums to cook in. But not for all foods.
“Parboiling isn’t the best for bratwurst,” he said. “Because you want to provide gentle heat. A slower increase in heat.”
Before delving into the science, Sindelar points out that bratwurst means “frying sausage” in German.
Bratwurst would be called “gekochtewurst,” or something similar, according to Google translate and my friend living in Germany, if these sausages were made to be boiled.
Semantics is not science, but it provides a clue to the true intent of preparation.
Bratwurst ingredients — ground meat, sugar, salt, pepper and other seasonings — bind together to maximize texture and flavor under the right conditions.
Proteins unfold in the meat and casing when heated. During the unfolding process, proteins bind with fats, salt, pepper and seasonings to create texture and flavor.
Parboiling speeds up the process, and that can create a mushy meat texture, develop rubbery casings and separate the casing from the sausage.
Proteins unfold slower in the medium-low heat of a grill. That environment creates more opportunities for the meat proteins to properly bind with the fats, seasonings and the casing.
Meanwhile, proteins in the casing shrink and dehydrate, leading to binding with the ground meat proteins. That bind creates a snap to each bite.
It would seem science has settled the debate: stop parboiling brats.
But, there is more to taste than how proteins combine. Smell, sounds, the surroundings and more can impact human perception of flavor. So can memories.
If the sight and smell of brats boiling in beer before hitting the grill brings back fond memories of family and friends, science stands little chance of changing your mind.
When it comes to a beer bath for the brats, Sindelar said it’s possible to change the bratwurst because even at a proper hold temperature of around 140 degrees, the brats are slowly cooking. Limit time to a couple of hours, but less is best.