Ingredients
For the onions:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 large onions
  • Salt
  • One 12-ounce bottle pale German lager or ale, room temperature
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
For the brat-burgers:
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground veal or beef
  • Salt and white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon each (about ⅓ palmful) marjoram, caraway seed, celery seed, ground coriander, granulated garlic and red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
  • About ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • About ¼ teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 6 potato rolls or other burger roll of choice, split
  • Pickles and mustards of choice, to pass at table
  • Salt and vinegar chips
For the red cabbage:
  • 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 large fresh bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon each mustard seed, caraway seed and coriander seed
  • 6 juniper berries (optional)
  • ⅓ cup cider vinegar, preferred brand Bragg's
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 2 Lady or Honeycrisp apples, peeled and chopped
Yield
Serves: 6
Preparation

For the onions: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and soften 6-7 minutes then season with salt. Add beer and stock, bring to a bubble then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. Stir in parsley and reserve.
 
Combine ground meats with a liberal amount of salt and white pepper. Add spices and combine. Let stand 30 minutes. Form 6 patties thinner at the center and thicker at edges for even cooking. 

 
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan.  Cook patties 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Serve burgers on lightly toasted rolls topped with lots of onions. Serve with pickles and mustards of choice, and salt and vinegar chips and red cabbage alongside.
 
For the red cabbage: Heat canola oil in a large pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, onions and bay; season liberally with salt and pepper. Add seeds and juniper (if using), and cook to soften a bit, 10-15 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and apples, and reduce heat to medium; cover. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.