WisconSINISTER Poutine

I belly flop between trying to cook healthy, seasonal dishes (often of the vegetarian or vegan persuasion) and my other half that loves good old meat and potatoes.  Anything in a natural casing gets bonus points.  It was no surprise then, when I moved to Wisconsin several years ago from sunny Venice Beach in California, that I put on 40 pounds pronto.  The beer and the cheese curds were the other usual suspects.  As y grandmother says, you only live once.  Granted, she’s on heart medication but I bet her 90 years have been that much more pleasurable with her self-granted permission to enjoy a Belgian chocolate here and there.

So, indulge me in letting me indulge in a guilty pleasure: poutine.

Poutine is Canada’s bar food golden child.  When I saw this slop of gravy, cheese curds and fries on an episode of No Reservations my first thought was, “why is this not in Wisconsin?”  As it turns out, it is available at the relatively new Cooper’s Tavern in its most basic form.  I decided to step it up a notch and concoct a version that I consider a Wisconsin tribute to a Canadian original, incorporating farmer’s market brats, onion-beer gravy and spicy mustard.

I invited my friends Mark and Tash over because they were the ones who introduced me to Kuma’s Corner in Chicago and I knew this dish would be right up their alley.  (Plus, the brats I bought cost $6.66, which I knew Mark my favorite metalhead would appreciate.)

Crank some Black Sabbath, saddle up to the table and chow down.  Allow 2-3 hours of down time for food coma.  Read the related Isthmus column here.

WisconSINISTER Poutine

Serves a helluva lot of people

• 12 oz cheese curds (cheddar from Farmer John)
• 3 small yellow onions, sliced into half-moons
• 48 oz frozen fries or make your own
• 4 brats (tailgater brats from D & G Sausage Shoppe)
• 2 12oz bottles of beer (Ale Asylum’s Ambergeddon)
• 8 oz chicken broth
• 1/3 c. flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 TBS butter
• Optional:
• Sauerkraut
• Spicy brown mustard

Prepare fries according to packaging directions (use the oven method).   Meanwhile, set up two simultaneous cooking projects:

1) Heat 2TBS of butter in a saucepan over med-high heat.  Add brats and brown on each side, about 2 minutes. Add beer and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until brats are cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced.  Remove brats and set aside.  Reserve liquid and set aside.

2) Heat 4 TBS of butter over medium heat in a large skillet (preferable cast-iron) and add onions.  Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and very soft.

Now, transfer onions to the saucepan used for boiling the brats.  Add 2 TBS butter and melt over medium heat.  Add flour and stir to make a roux, cooking about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and all but about ¼ cup of the reserve beer liquid.  Let simmer about 10 minutes until thickened.  Dilute with additional beer as necessary.

In the cast iron skillet, give the brats a final browning, deglazing onion bits and basting the brats with remaining ¼ cup of the beer liquid, cooking about 2-3 minutes each side.

Remove fries from oven and transfer to an oven-safe serving dish, or preferably, remove the brats and use the cast iron skillet.  Cover fries in curds and put back in the oven, about 5 minutes or until slightly melted.

Meanwhile, slice brats into bite-size pieces.

Remove fries, top with brats, kraut, gravy and spicy brown mustard.  Serve immediately.