It’s been awhile since I sent out a newsletter, mostly because I spent several weeks at the lake with my family this summer and less time in front of my computer.

But even while we’re gone we still have to eat, so I did plenty of outdoor cooking, including trying a bunch of new recipes.

So here is a summer cooking roundup for your enjoyment. I hope this sparks a few ideas as you get ready to cook for football season! As a tortured Cal fan, I always need to have delicious food to comfort me. (Go Bears!)

Please share this newsletter far and wide, and if you haven’t already, subscribe for regular recipes, tips and tricks for cooking outside.

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Summer Recipe #1: Beer Brats

For any of my subscribers from Wisconsin, let me apologize up front: I had never made beer brats before this summer. But now that I have, this will be a regular in our house.

Your Shopping List:

• Aluminum pan (pick the size based on the size of your grill and how many brats you plan to make)

• Butter

• White onions

• Bell peppers

• A garlic-heavy seasoning (I used Garlic Garlic from Kosmos Q)

• Beer (I used Bud Light — my comments on instagram tell me there are strong opinions about what beer is best, but I recommend some sort of lager)

• Bratwursts

• Buns

The prep:

• Light a grill to medium-high heat

• Slice peppers and onions

The cook itself:

• Place your aluminum pan on your lit grill and add a stick of butter until melted

• Add peppers, onions and a health dose of your garlic seasoning, stirring somewhat regularly until they begin to soften

• Add a can or two of beer depending on the size of your pan. Save enough room for your bratwursts.

• Add bratwursts and cover grill 

• Wait 30 minutes or so and enjoy whatever beer you didn’t use for the cook — you’re looking for an internal temp of 160

• Remove pan from grill and set aside; place brats directly on grill grate, flipping after a couple minutes until seared on all sides

• Return brats to the pan and they’re ready to serve! Top with your favorite condiments

• Tip: have a slotted spoon ready to scoop out those peppers and onions!

The result:

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Summer Recipe #2: Breakfast Fatty

If you haven’t smoked breakfast for your family before, here’s the place to start. With proper prep the night before it’s an easy morning and a delicious meal. (Hint: you could easily do this in your oven if you don’t have a smoker.)

Your Shopping List:

• A pound of bacon

• A pound of ground breakfast sausage

• Six or so eggs

• Shredded cheddar cheese

• Your favorite BBQ rub (I used Honey Killer Bee from Kosmos Q)

• Kosmos Q Maple Bourbon Glaze, or maple syrup to make your own

The Prep + The Cook Itself:

Behold! A narrated video to make this easy. (Someday Substack will support embedding Instagram videos natively, but today is not that day.)

The result:

Bonus Summer Recipe: Picnic Shoulder

While at the lake I was having trouble getting my Instagram stories to upload, so instead I consolidated an 8-hour cook into an 8-minute video. Rather than writing up the whole thing, here you go!

Picture of the Week

As many of you saw on Instagram, I was honored to get to cook for my sister-in-law’s wedding this summer. Here’s the plate I pulled off, plus how a bride eats ribs to stay photogenic.

Thanks for reading! If you made it this far and you’re not already subscribed, please do so now. Otherwise, share this with whatever friends you’re watching football with this weekend so you can plan out your menu.

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