Photo courtesy ©Blue Moon Studio, Inc.

It’s officially summer and time to fire up those grills. A super easy and delicious addition to your grill season should be Johnsonville Brats. They’re juicy, flavorful, and make for a quick, no-fail grill meal.

Brats are an old-fashioned style of sausage that have been around since the 1300s.

I picked up a package of Johnsonville Brats, Original Bratwurst, which came with five fat, seven-inch sausages. (Bratwurst is a German term for sausages made of veal, pork, or beef that is finely chopped and roasted or pan fried.) Here in the Northwest, the weather is still cool, so grilling outside wasn’t an option. But I wanted that smoky, grilled flavor, I fired up one of my cast iron grill pans.

I lightly oiled the grill pan and got it good and hot. After splitting a couple of brats lengthwise, I laid them on the grill to cook. Within a few moments they were sizzling nicely.

The brats quickly achieved grill marks and, about halfway through the cooking, I added a bit of water and covered them so they’d steam. The brats took longer to cook than I anticipated (I was hungry). I pulled them off after about seven minutes, but the sausages were still pink inside. I returned them to the grill pan for another five minutes.

The cast iron grill pan made nice marks on the sausages.

The result was juicy porky brats with just a hint of smokiness. While the brats were plenty juicy, they weren’t fatty.

Johnsonville Brats are made with all-natural casings and only premium cuts of pork and that’s obvious in the robust flavor. They do a flavorful job of blending herbs and spices with the pork. They also add corn syrup, which gives the pork a sweet-saltiness that’s wonderfully satisfying.

Adding a bit of water to the pan keeps the brats moist and juicy.

Bottom Line: Johnsonville Brats are American-made with premium cuts of pork and you can tell that by the flavor. Cook them indoors or out for a juicy, flavorful, and super easy meal that says, “It’s summer!” – Bobbie Hasselbring, RFT Editor

Interested in other great products you should check out? Read our experience with Black Box Wine!