Summer is almost here, and I am excited to get the grill out.  One of my favorite things to grill are Brats that have been sitting in a beer marinade for a few hours.  Also, the greatest summer side dish has to be potato salad.   Here is how I do brats and potato salad:

If you’re just buying grocery store Brats, stick with Johnsonville.  I always buy the spicy version, but the original works just fine.  You want to open them up and poke several holes in each brat with a fork.  This is going to allow the marinade to get through the casing.  Put the brats in the brats in a large bowl, and add the following ingredients(this is assuming you are making one package of brats):

• 2 bottles of dark beer
• 1 half onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• A palm full of brown sugar
• Red pepper flakes (add as much as you like)
• A dash of Tabasco
• This is optional, but I always add a bit of Sriracha chili sauce.  If you use a lot it gives brats more of an Asian flavor, which is odd to some people, but if you get the perfect amount in it creates a delicious flavor.  I would add about a tablespoon, if i had to guess.

Let the brats sit in the marinade for about 2 hours, then throw on the grill.  Trust me on this.  These are amazing.

As for the potato salad, I like the mustard variety without a lot of crunch from peppers and other ingredients.  I like the potatoes and the sauce to create the flavor.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 5 pounds potatoes, cooked
• 3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1 small jar pimento
• 3/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• Paprika
• Mayonnaise
• Yellow mustard

Cook the potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover while boiling.  Don’t overcook them or they will fall apart.  Place potatoes into a strainer.  Peel and dice the them while they are still warm!

Add chopped eggs, and onions.   Add pimento pickle relish, and celery seed.  Add mayonnaise and yellow mustard to taste (approximately ½ cup mayonnaise and ¼ cup mustard). If potatoes are too watery at this point add less mayonnaise.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I usually do the taste test and add more of any of the ingredients if I feel the salad is lacking something

Place in serving bowl and sprinkle top with paprika. I always boil a few eggs, chop them up and place on top.

Cover and place in refrigerator until cold. Do not cover with aluminum foil; use plastic or glass instead. Foil will discolor eggs and possibly interact with mayonnaise.

There you have it, perfect potato salad.

Padma Lakshmi from Top Chef’s Hardees commercial…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwxmy1TWNM]