A friend gave me several packs of elk sausage or brats. Wild game Brats tend to not be as fat, juicy, or tender as commercial brats. This is especially true with antelope brats. Even with the slightest grill time, they overcook quickly. You can load up the brats on a bun with all kinds of mustard, onions, or sauerkraut but, in the end, you have a dry and chewy Brat. 

Here is a way that I have found to spice up and tenderize your wild game Brats.

Start with wooden skewers, soaked in water. This will prevent the grilled wood from burning. Soak the skewers for a least 30 minutes. You can also use short metal skewers.

The BratKabobs need only be the length of a small sub roll. You will be placing the kabob into the roll and pulling out the stick. Of course, you can go bunless.

Start with a sealable plastic bag or glass bowl for the marinade. I place everything into the marinate and allow to soak for at least an hour. Dry wild game sausages quickly soak up flavor and moisture. You can soak them whole or cut them into rounds. You will just need to realign them when you add them onto the skewers.

Make the Marinade from ½ cup of light soy sauce, ½ cup of apple juice, 1 tbsp. of hot mustard, and whole brats. Make as much marinate as you need.

Cut onions, squash, red and green pepper into 1-inch rounds that will fit onto the skewers. Place in the marinate. After an hour, remove all ingredients and drain.

To load up your kabobs, place them into a corn holder dish. This long dish will act as a tray to hold everything together until you load the roll. The brat should be cut into 1-inch rounds but kept them aligned in the tray. Separate the brat rounds and weave a strip or two of bacon between each round. At this point, you can skewer the entire length together or add some of the veggies in between. Remember, it needs to fit in the bun.

You can grill the veggies on a skewer separately.

Gril the buns with a bit of butter. You can also brush the inside of the bun with some marinate. Use the excess marinate to brush the Bratkabobs also. Grill for about 15-20 minutes. Use a medium heat and cook slowly. The bacon will let you know when they are done. I have also smoked the kabobs for 15 minutes and then finished them on a quicker higher heat setting.

Place the BratKabobs into the buns, squeeze and remove the skewers. Add some whole grain mustard to finish. You will be amazed at the flavors and texture of these wild game links. You can also serve with German potato salad, sauerkraut, or wide noodles.

Enjoy a Better Brat! 

Montana Grant