Grilled Sausage

I have a question about grilling sausages, particularly Italian sausage and hoping some of you folks wouldn't mind sharing your techniques.

Note: This is not about smoking sausage in a WSM or something similar. Just plain old grilling - either over charcoal or gas grills. I have a picnic this weekend out of town and want to bring some sausage for the extended family and grill it on the spot.

I've seen people simmer their sausage first, whether it's bratwurst in a bath of beer or Italian sausage in a little water, before finishing them on the grill. I've also seen direct grilling and grilling with indirect heat. I've seen whole rope Italian sausage started in a little water and then browned in their own fat, which is a nice method.

Generally, I like a char on my sausages but I also like the texture you get from simmering them first.

I just had a sausage from Roma's Beef and Sausage and it was great. I know they're grilling them but they also have a very tender texture inside. Are they pre cooking before they go on a grill? If so, is it in water or indirect grilling - then a quick fire-up over the coals?

Any/all insight is always appreciated. Thanks.

Obviously the first thing you need is good sausage which does not present a challenge in this wonderful town. I buy my sausage at either Nottoli & Son 7652 W Belmont Nottoli Italian Foods 5025 N Harlem ( family related but totally lndependant)
I have a gas grill with 3 burners.
Preheat on high 10-15
turn off middle, and turn others to medium
Brown sausage over med. sides of grill to the way you like
Move sausage to middle, close hood and cokk about 10-15 minutes turning once.

I end up with charred juicy sausage. Served with Cubanella peppers roasted with the sausage brushed with olive oil and dusted with herbs & spices.

Just the way I do it. I am sure you will get a number of methods.

Thanks much. I typically will do just the opposite - indirect then a quick run over the hot side but I'll try your method this weekend.

Although it's probably not the best, I will typically buy from either Bari Foods or Fiore's, which has a hot and a mild homemade rope for a reasonable cost. Both are close to my house and both are family run so I feel good giving them my business. Thanks again.

tyrus wrote:I've seen people simmer their sausage first, whether it's bratwurst in a bath of beer or Italian sausage in a little water, before finishing them on the grill. I've also seen direct grilling and grilling with indirect heat. I've seen whole rope Italian sausage started in a little water and then browned in their own fat, which is a nice method.

Generally, I like a char on my sausages but I also like the texture you get from simmering them first.

Here is a long thread about cooking bratwurst in which various comparisons were tried and it was generally conceded that direct grilling produced the best sausage, assuming you didn't need to pre-cook for quick turnaround or to hold them for a crowd.