Brat Burger Recipe

Seafood with a twist

Fish may not be as common as burgers, brats, hot dogs, steak and chicken on North Iowa grills, but it can be just as tasty when cooked right.

“I like fish so I’ll make it once in a while,” said Randy Bushbaum of Rockwell.

Like all other foods on the grill the key is not to overcook the fish.

“Tuna, for example, is something you don’t want to overcook,” said Mike Vulk, seafood specialist with Hy-Vee West, Mason City.

If grilled too long fish will fall apart and have more of a rubbery texture and taste.

However, before getting to the actual grilling, fish needs to be seasoned or marinaded.

“I marinate it but not as long as I do meat,” Bushbaum said.

Vulk likes to use cajun seasoning or a lemon butter recipe, and Marc Gabrielson, owner of We 3 Catering in Belmond, suggests dill and butter.

When it comes to the actual grilling people have a few different options, which can depend on the type of fish.

With salmon and walleye Vulk and Gabrielson recommend leaving the skin on one side of the fish and then grilling it skin side down.

“We leave the skin on and when it gets cooked it comes right off,” Gabrielson said.

With this method grillers don’t have to flip the fish unless they want the grill lines on the top side.

Grilling time for this method depends on the size of fish, but the average time would be around 20 minutes, Gabrielson said.

“Just put a fork in and see if it starts flaking off,” he said. “Then it’s done.”

Options for fish without the skin include direct heat or foil, with each method producing different results.

“Some of us like it more moist and some like more crust to it,” Bushbaum said. “So if I use the basket it gets more direct heat. For the moisture I’d put it in aluminum foil so it gets more steamed than grilled.”

With the foil method the fish doesn’t have to be flipped, but with direct heat it should be flipped once, he said.

Bushbaum often uses a fish basket for direct heat, which makes it easier to flip the fish.

How long the fish should cook on each side depends on the size of the filets, but on average if the fish is thawed Bushbaum suggests 7 to 10 minutes.

Frozen fish would take longer and shouldn’t necessarily be avoided because of that reason.

“Cook it frozen. It’s actually better,” Vulk said. “It doesn’t dry out.

HappilyDomestic: Chicken Teriyaki Burgers Recipe! by guest blogger ...

One of my favorite things about summer is eating BBQ. Usually we have burgers, hot dogs, brats or steaks with all the other traditional BBQ foods. Sometimes though, I feel the need to mix it up. Step outside of the norm if you will! It was on one of those days that this recipe materialized and quickly became one of my favorite BBQ foods. I promise you no one will be disappointed and your friends and family will be amazed by your creativity. Enjoy! with minced garlic, about 1 tbs of soy sauce, just enough to lightly flavor your meat and add a couple shakes of salt and pepper. Let this sit, covered in the fridge for 20 minutes. Slice onions and pineapple, set aside. Take meat out of your fridge and form it into patties. I like a good sized patty and normally get 4 patties from 1 pound of meat. Brush teriyaki sauce onto both sides of your burgers, stick on grill for 5-7 minutes per side, depending on the temperature. While those are cooking, immediately begin caramelizing your onions on medium heat. When you flip your patties, brush again with teriyaki. The last 3 minutes put your pineapple on the grill. If you want, brush that also with teriyaki but it's not necessary.

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