Sporked’s roundup of the five best bratwurst is hot off the proverbial presses, so it’s a perfect time to answer a pressing question: What are the best things to eat with brats? I’m partial to a nice cheddar brat in a soft, bouncy bun with a fat squiggle of ketchup, but I commend you for wanting to get more creative than that. From a crunchy kraut to the best beer for braising beer brats, these are der beste products to pair with bratwurst.

Kraut is a classic condiment for brats, but a lot of sauerkraut it so salty that it can totally overwhelm the mild, porky flavor of the sausage itself. Cleveland Kraut is a different beast. It’s more like coleslaw than kraut, with a milder flavor and lots of crunch (it comes in a little refrigerated pouch, so it’s super fresh tasting). “It reminds me of a homemade kraut you’d get on a Reuben at a really nice, artisanal sandwich place,” managing editor Gwynedd Stuart wrote. If you like a classic, briny kraut, buy Boar’s Head, but if you want something that turns ho-hum encased meat into an impressive meal, this is something you should be eating with brats.

Read the full ranking of the best sauerkraut

The worst thing you can do to a nice, plump bratwurst is to squeeze it into a teensy-weensy little hot dog bun—that’s sacrilege. Alfaro’s Artesano Bakery Sausage Rolls are big boy buns that are perfect to eat with brats. As Sporked senior writer Jordan Myrick wrote, “These are gigantic, bready, and definitely designed for sizable sausages rather than dainty dogs.” If you’re gonna load up your brat with toppings, you have to start with the right bun.

Read the full ranking of the best hot dog buns

I know, I know. Brown mustard is the standard brat condiment. But hear us out: the acidic tang of yellow mustard can really bring bratwurst to life. And this Trader Joe’s yellow mustard has more going on than just tang. As Jordan wrote in their ranking of the best yellow mustard, “There are flecks of black pepper throughout it, which I love.” Plus, it’s sort of grainy, which makes it seem “like maybe it was ground with a mortar and pestle.” Fancy stuff for a fancy brat.

Read the full ranking of the best yellow mustard

The yellow mustard was just a warmup for this bombshell. I love barbecue sauce and I’m here to fight for its right to be included among our list of what to eat with bratwurst. Go to any good barbecue joint and you’ll find bottles of barbecue sauce that can be dispensed onto anything, including encased meats. Get those BBQ restaurant vibes at home and reach for Bachan’s yuzu BBQ sauce. I know. Yuzu BBQ sauce on a brat sounds weird, but trust us—the smokiness brings out the flavor of the meat and the citrus cuts the richness. For BBQ sauce, it’s on the thinner side, but it’s good if you’re knife-and-forking it.

Read the full ranking of the best BBQ sauce

Okay yes, this is a list of what to eat with brats, not what to drink with them, but hear me out on this one. If you’re making your brats on the stovetop rather than on the grill, you should absolutely be simmering them in beer (and drinking what’s left over). A refreshing light ale is the perfect beer for the job and we can’t stop talking about Kona Light’s “downright tropical [flavor]” and “notes of pineapple balanced with herbaceous hops.” I mean, just imagine a little bit of that fruity, hoppy flavor coming through in the meat. Sometimes the best thing to eat with brats isn’t something you eat at all. Prost!

Read the full ranking of the best low carb beer

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