Harry (Moose) Kelley's Bratwurst

A Traditional Extended Kelley Family Favorite

Bear's Anecdote - Some of the highest highlights of my childhood were visiting Uncle Moose (Harry Kelley) and Aunt Dot (Dorothy (Fetzer) Kelley) in Manitowoc. Their whole family was always talented and upbeat, and there was a joy present that will never be matched. The family sing-alongs were unparalleled. It was always the little things that made the difference. Watching a ball game with Uncle Moose was a real pleasure. Being in the way in the kitchen while Aunt Dot was prepping the big family dinner was also a real pleasure. And the absolute highlight of every trip was when Uncle Moose would grill the brats. My dad would be there. Uncle Charlie was always there. Sometimes Uncle Paul "Buck" Kelley was there. All the kids would play croquette, or somesuch. Uncle Erv Kieckhefer would sometimes be there. (The women were usually off somewhere else, prepping the food.) The men'd all grab a bottle of brew and chat, while watching to be sure the flames didn't get out of hand under the brats. As the commercial says, it just don't get any better than that.

Oh! And you cannot get a decent bratwurst outside of Wisconsin.

  1. Boil the brats in beer and onions just until fully cooked. Cooking them too long takes all the flavor from them.
  2. While you're at it, have a bottle of beer yourself, just to be sure it is suitable for cooking use.
  3. Grill the brats gently until nicely browned on all sides, keeping the flames down with an occasional sprinkling of water. You just want them lightly browned on all sides, not converted into meteorites.
  4. Mix well with good conversation. You had also better reassure yourself that the beer is suitable for cooking; have one.
  5. Serve on a hardroll of some kind with plenty of mustard, onions and occasionally some saurkraut.

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