Poached & Grilled Dogs & Marinated Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad
6 bratwursts, Polish sausages, or all-beef franks
6 cups beer
2 large onions, sliced, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red or green bell peppers, cored and sliced
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
6 buns or hoagie rolls, split lengthwise
Mustard
Prick the meat all over with a fork. In a medium pot, combine the meat, beer, and half the onions. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the dogs are firm and cooked through. Transfer the meat to a plate. Reserve some of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the remaining onions and the bell peppers. Cook about 15 minutes or until very soft, tossing occasionally. Add the meat to the skillet in the last 5 minutes of cooking to lightly brown, or put the dogs on the grill for some char and color. If the vegetables begin to get too dark, add a few tablespoons of the meat cooking liquid. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
To serve, spread each bun with mustard. Fill each bun with a sausage or dog. Top with sauteed peppers and onions.
Marinated Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad
1 cup water
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. herb de Provence
Coarse or ground Himalayan pink salt (I get mine at Costco) and fresh coarse ground pepper, to taste
3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick (If you use English cucumbers, you don’t have to peel them)
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 red onion, sliced and separated into rings
Torn basil, for garnish
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Whisk water, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth; add cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion and stir to coat.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours. Garnish with torn basil and drizzle each serving with the olive oil.