Stuffed Brats
Bratwursts are sliced open, filled with pepper jack cheese, wrapped in bacon, and grilled until cooked through.
Ingredients
- 10 large uncooked bratwurst sausages about 2.5 lbs / 1.1 kg
- 4 oz pepper jack cheese cut into 10 long strips, 115 g
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown or jalapeño mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic jalapeño dry rub or spicy seasoning
- 10 slices thin-cut bacon about 10 oz / 280 g
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper blend optional
- 1/2 cup peach habanero or sweet barbecue sauce 120 ml
Instructions
- Preheat your grill or smoker to 350°F (175°C) for indirect heat.
- Cut a slit down the top of each bratwurst from end to end. Do not cut all the way through the bottom.
- Push a strip of pepper jack cheese into the slit of each sausage.
- Brush the outside of the sausages with a light, even layer of mustard.
- Sprinkle the garlic jalapeño seasoning over the mustard.
- Wrap one piece of bacon around each sausage in a spiral, making sure it covers the cheese slit.
- Place the sausages on the grill over indirect heat. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and a meat thermometer inserted into the pork reads 160°F (71°C).
- Remove the sausages from the heat and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Brush the barbecue sauce over the bacon. Return the sausages to the grill for 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce becomes sticky.
Notes
Ground pork sausages must reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for food safety. Check the temperature in the center of the meat, avoiding the cheese pocket.
If you do not have a grill, you can bake these on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
Secure the bacon with toothpicks if it starts to unravel before cooking. Remember to remove them before eating.