Nothing puts a barb in your summer barbecue like biting into a crisp bratwurst fresh off the grill only to find that it's still pink in the middle (and it's not a , like on brisket). It can be a real problem — if you leave the brats on the grill long enough to cook all the way through, they might end up super charred or burnt. Thankfully, there is a way to avoid that fate, and it's something you might not have thought of before: Give your fresh, uncooked brats a quick boiling bath before laying them on the grill.
To do this, you'll place your sausages in a large enough pot or Dutch oven to allow them to lie completely horizontal and fill the pot with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer; let the brats simmer for 10-20 minutes. Get out your meat thermometer, because they're good to grill once their internal temperature hits 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
From there, you can toss them on the grill for three to four minutes on each side or until you've achieved your desired char marks. , and brats are very low-fuss. We should note that if you're cooking (meat patties seasoned like bratwurst) instead of links, there is no need to parboil them.
Why you should boil your brats before grilling While there have been some detractors to the parboiling method, many in the cooking field tout the positives. For one, boiling these tasty sausages ensures that they are cooked through before they hit the grill grates, so you don't have to worry about leaving them on so long t.