Name: Grandpa's utopenci in beer brine with mustard and onion
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 8 smoked sausages or one coiled smoked sausage; 4 large onions; full‑fat mustard for spreading; 1–2 hot peppers to taste; 1 bottle of pale lager 0.5 l; 200 ml spirit vinegar; 5 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon salt; 2 bay leaves; 5 allspice berries; 10 black peppercorns

Brine Put the beer, vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf, allspice, pepper and hot pepper into a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes so the sugar and salt dissolve and the spices release their aroma. Let cool to lukewarm.

Preparing the sausages Remove the casings from the sausages. Cut into about three‑centimetre „logs“, but don't cut all the way through — leave a joint in the middle. Open like a book, spread mustard on the inside and insert a slice of onion.

Packing into jars In clean, ideally warmed jars, stack layers of sausages interspersed with onion. Pour in the lukewarm brine so everything is completely submerged. You can add an extra piece of hot pepper. Close with lids.

Maturation Let cool at room temperature and then store in the refrigerator. Let mature for at least 48 hours; the best flavor develops in 3–5 days. During maturation you can gently turn the jars once a day so the brine distributes.