As I sat listening to the rain fall outside this recipe came to my head. I thought of a gloomy old pub on the cobble stone roads of London. Thinking back to a time I sat there eating a hot bowl of Beer & Cheddar soup. The guy next to me was enjoying some bangers and mash and the smell was incredible. Between the Beer & cheddar and the char of those bangers I couldn’t resist I asked for a side of bangers and quickly chopped them up and dumped them in my soup. The flavor was outstanding and it made me so happy.
That was a meal I forgot about when I got home, something I should have remembered but didn’t. But, as the rain fell outside, inside my memories transported me back to a time and a meal. A meal that filled every sense I had. Here is my interpretation of that meal I had so many years ago. My wife and children gobbled up their bowls and my wife leaned over and whispered… “This recipe is a Keeper.”
Enjoy!
Please remember you don’t have to use wild game while creating my recipes, it just what I use because I love hunting and harvesting my own meat. Don’t feel as if you can’t create a recipe because you don’t have the meat I used. Get creative and use whatcha got.
Grilled Elk Bratwurst Beer & Cheddar Soup
Ingredients:
4 Bratwurst, I used Elk Brats
12 ounce can of your Favorite beer (Non Dark Beer)
1 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 Brown or white onion, Chopped
½ pound bacon, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup Fire roasted red pepper, diced
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 cups chicken stock or homemade pheasant stock
2 cups milk
1/3 cup flour (can be removed for gluten free, thicken soup with 3 red potatoes diced instead)
3 cups sharp cheddar
1 cup white cheddar
Salt & Pepper to taste
(Optional For heat 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce & 1/8 teaspoon cayenne)
Directions:
In large stock pot or Dutch oven bring beer to boil, once boiling add brats and cook for 8 mins.
While bratwurst are boil heat grill to high heat
Remove brats from beer bath and grill for 5-10 minutes
(I like to grill my Red peppers at this point as well)
As brats are grilling pour out and reserve the beer from your pot. Remove the bratwurst from grill, chop and add back to beer until we are ready for the yumminess
Over med heat melt butter and olive oil, add onions and celery cooking until onions are translucent and start to caramelize about 3 minutes. Add chopped bacon and cook until bacon is browned. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the Peppers, paprika, mustards and Worcestershire (hot sauce and cayenne if adding). Turn heat up to Med-High and add the beer and brats back to the mixture. Along with adding the beer and brats add your Stock and 1 ½ cup of milk
In small bowl mix the flour and remaining milk together until there are no lumps, pour into soup and mix. Bring soup to a boil.
(If using potatoes in replacement of flour add to soup at this point)
Add cheeses and season with salt and pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons cracked pepper.
Lower soup to a simmer and let its gain flavor anywhere from 20-30 minutes.
Remove soup and top with croutons, cheese and jalapenos or use your imagination.
Pour yourself a glass of your favorite ale, sit back and enjoy a meal fit for a king.
From Field To Plate
