Smoked Beer Cheese Brat Balls

As a substitute of smoking entire bratwurst, make brat balls and smother them in addictive beer cheese for the proper tailgate cheese dip.

What’s beer cheese?

Beer cheese is a well-liked cheese dip, particularly at tailgate events, that’s made with melted cheese and beer. It’s much like a fondue, which is made with wine, and is commonly served with pretzels, crackers or greens.

What are brat balls?

Brat balls are merely meatballs made with floor bratwurst meat.

So what’s bratwurst meat you might ask?

I make my selfmade bratwursts with floor pork shoulder, beer, water and spices.

Nevertheless it’s method simpler to make this recipe with premade, raw bratwurst that you’ll find on the grocery retailer. You simply must take away the meat from the casings and roll up the meatballs.

Components

• Bratwursts: You’ll discover these within the meat part of your grocery retailer. They often come 5 hyperlinks per pack.
• Yellow or White Onion: Slice it tremendous skinny so the onion virtually dissolves into the dip.
• Salted Butter
• All-purpose Flour
• Brisket Rub: That is my award-winning mix of salt, pepper, garlic and chiles.
• Floor Mustard
• Smoked Paprika
• Beer: You need to use any type of beer. For this recipe. I like utilizing darkish beers or amber ales. Pale ales are additionally good.
• Colby Jack Cheese: For the creamiest sauce, use freshly shredded cheese.
• Sizzling Canine Buns

Substitutions: As a substitute of colby jack cheese, you too can use cheddar, Swiss, muenster, gouda, gruyere or some other cheese that melts properly. 
If you do not have mustard powder, use a tablespoon Dijon mustard.

See the complete recipe card under for servings and a full listing of components.

The right way to cook dinner the beer cheese and brat balls

This recipe begins at 400F levels and finishes at 225F levels. In the event you’re utilizing a pellet grill or gravity collection grill just like the Masterbuilt 1050 or XT, you can also make that adjustment simply.

In the event you’re utilizing a ceramic cooker, do steps two and three on the stovetop after which smoke the cheese in a 225F diploma smoker.

1. STEP ONE: Take away the bratwurst meat from the casings and roll them into balls. It’s best to get six balls from each bratwurst hyperlink.

2. STEP TWO: Warmth your grill to 400F levels. Place a big forged iron skillet on the grill. As soon as it’s heated, add the meatballs and cook dinner them for about 8-9 minutes or till they get a pleasant colour on all sides.

PRO TIP: You may also do that step and the subsequent one on a stovetop. 

3. STEP THREE: Add the sliced onion to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

4. STEP FOUR: Cut back the smoker temperature to 225F levels. Add the butter, flour and seasonings. Gently stir to make a roux and let it cook dinner for 1-2 minutes.

5. STEP FIVE: Pour the beer into the skillet. Stir to dissolve the flour. Then, add the cheese and gently stir to soften.

6. STEP SIX: Shut the lid and smoke the beer cheese dip for about half-hour over oblique warmth.

7. STEP SEVEN: Whereas the cheese is smoking, slice scorching canine buns into 1 inch items. Place these in a pan and warmth them on the smoker subsequent to the cheese for about 10 minutes.

The right way to serve beer cheese brat balls

Place the skillet on a trivet on the buffet desk proper subsequent to the toasted scorching canine items. Lay out some plates and place a serving spoon within the skillet.

Individuals can both dunk the bread proper into the cheese, or they’ll pile a meatball and cheese proper on high. Or, they’ll open the recent canine bun up and place a meatball inside to make a sandwich.

As a substitute of scorching canine buns, you too can serve this beer cheese dip recipe on recreation day with gentle pretzels, baguette slices or tortilla chips.

Because the dip cools, it’ll begin to harden. So it’s finest to take pleasure in it immediately. If it does quiet down, both place the skillet on the stovetop over low warmth or pop it in a 350F diploma oven for about quarter-hour.

Storage

Retailer leftover beer cheese in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Reheat it within the microwave, oven or on the range. This cheese dip doesn’t freeze effectively.