Grilling brats requires patience

? For those worried about how best to grill bratwurst, Steven Raichlen, author of “BBQ USA” and host of PBS’s Barbecue University, has a few words of advice.

A burnt bratwurst may not be a done bratwurst; it can be an unfortunate sign of impatience. The perfect way to grill a bratwurst requires a cool head and a moderate flame.

“The key to grilling a highly flammable food like sausage is to use moderate heat and grill slowly,” Raichlen says. “High heat is good for searing steak, when the outside needs to be more well-done than the inside. Searing sausage may cause the brat to burst and casing to split, releasing all its good juices. And you certainly don’t want your brat to be charred on the outside but undercooked on the inside.”

Raichlen recommends a “low and slow” approach. That means grilling brats on a moderate flame until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees, about 25 minutes. He offers an easy trick to determine the appropriate grill temperature.

“Hold your hand about four inches above the grate,” he says, “and start counting one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, and so on. Soon the intensity of the heat will force you to remove your hand. A moderate fire perfect for brat grilling is a five- to six-Mississippi fire.”

Grillers who prefer gas grilling should start the flame at a medium setting. Then as brat juices start to flow, be ready to lower the heat as needed.