Southern Smoked Choucroute Garni Recipes

Steps:

• In a 24-quart pot with a lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add sauerkraut, and stir to combine; transfer half of the mixture to a large bowl.
• Place pork loin, pork belly, pork butt, and both bacons in pot; top with reserved sauerkraut mixture. Place cloves, bay leaves, juniper berries, and cumin in a piece of cheesecloth; tie with a piece of kitchen twine to enclose. Add to pot along with wine, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and cover; cook until meats are cooked through and tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Add all sausages to pot, and cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Generously salt water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Drain.
• To serve, place mound of sauerkraut in the center of a large platter. Slice meats and add to platter along with potatoes; garnish with parsley and serve with mustards.

Steps:

• Place ham hocks in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer hocks to medium bowl. Boil broth until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Place hock meat in medium bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover hock meat and broth separately; chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and bacon. Sauté until bacon is crisp and bratwurst is brown, about 10 minutes. Place in bowl with hock meat.
• Add onions, spices and bay leaves to same pot. Sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add apples; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in sauerkraut. Add all meats; press to submerge. Add reserved broth and wine. Boil 10 minutes. Cover choucroute and bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain; cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half. Dip cut sides into parsley. Arrange sauerkraut and meats on platter. Surround with potatoes. Serve with mustards and horseradish.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot with lid, saute the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Brown the bratwurst and the pork chops on all sides, then set them aside. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the sauerkraut and saute 5 minutes. Add the potato, caraway seeds, juniper berries and the brown sugar and stir to combine. Place the browned bratwurst and pork chops on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Add the chicken stock, Riesling and water. Place lid on top and bake for 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Drain sauerkraut, reserving juice. Rinse in two changes of cold water, wring out well, and set aside. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large casserole,at least 5 quarts,cook salt pork or bacon over medium heat until golden. Remove,draining well.Leave fat in casserole. Add onions and carrots, and saute until soft. Add garlic and apple, and cook, stirring, several minutes. Add sauerkraut, and return pork or bacon to casserole, tucking it into sauerkraut. Add stock and wine. Bring to a simmer.
• Add bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and juniper berries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover,and bake 2 hours.
• Tuck sausages into sauerkraut. If sauerkraut looks dry, add stock. If sauerkraut needs more bite, add a little reserved juice. Cover,and bake 20 minutes.
• Place smoked pork on sauerkraut. Cut ham slices in half, and add them to top. Cover with parchment cut to fit inside casserole and placed directly on ingredients. Cover pot,and return to oven 15 minutes.
• While meats cook, simmer potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain.
• Serve choucroute directly from casserole, placing potatoes on top first. Or spread sauerkraut on a platter, and top with meats and potatoes. Serve with mustard.

Steps:

• Immerse the sauerkraut in a large bowl filled with cold water, and soak for 15 minutes.
• While sauerkraut is soaking, place the chopped bacon and the optional bacon rind in a heavy, oven proof pot over high heat. Saute for 1 minute. Turn heat to medium-low, add the garlic and saute for another minute.
• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Squeeze the sauerkraut dry, reserving 1 cup of the soaking water and add the sauerkraut to the pot. Stir well to blend with bacon. Add the reserved cup of soaking water, the white wine, the juniper berries, the peppercorns and the cloves. Bring to boil on top of stove and boil until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 20-30 minutes).
• Imbed the meats in the sauerkraut, cover the pot and cook in the oven until the meats are hot, about 30 minutes. Serve on a large platter.

Steps:

• Make a spice bundle: Place spices, bay leaves, and garlic on a square of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle with kitchen twine.
• Heat oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bacon, pork butt, and spice bundle. Cover with sauerkraut. Add wine and enough water to come 1 inch below sauerkraut. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer 45 minutes.
• Add potatoes and carrots. Cover; cook until almost tender, about 20 minutes.
• Using a skewer or the tip of a paring knife, poke a few holes into each sausage to prevent them from bursting. Place kielbasa in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning often, until browned, about 8 minutes. Put all sausages into the Dutch oven. Cover; cook until heated through, about 15 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausages and vegetables to a plate. Drain sauerkraut, and arrange on a serving platter. Arrange sausages and vegetables on top. Garnish with parsley; serve with mustards.

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut thoroughly, put aside. In a rondeau melt the duck fat and saute the onion until tender, add garlic bay leaves, juniper berries and thyme. Saute until golden brown, deglaze with Reisling wine. Add 1/2 of the sauerkraut, place bacon slab and ham shanks in the middle and then top with remaining sauerkraut. Pour chicken stock over making sure it covers the sauerkraut (if not enough, add water). Cover the pan with foil and place in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours. Wash red bliss potatoes and steam whole for 30 to 40 minutes. Peel potatoes and set aside. Cut sausages in half and warm in boiling water. Place pork chops in oven to warm. Take sauerkraut out of the oven and remove bacon and ham shanks. Slice the bacon in half. Remove pork chops out of oven. Place sauerkraut in the center of a large oval tray, place all meats around sauerkraut, place bacon and ham shanks, on top of sauerkraut. Place warm potatoes around with the meat, Serve Dijon mustard on the side.

Steps:

• Stud each onion quarter with a clove. Layer the bacon, sauerkraut, garlic, onion quarters, herb sprigs, bay leaves, pork chops, kielbasa, apples, and potatoes in the slow cooker in the order listed, then pour the wine and gin over the top. Cover the cooker and set it on LOW. Cook until the pork is falling off the bones and the potatoes are fork-tender, at least 6 and up to 8 hours.
• Arrange the meats, potatoes, apples, onions, garlic, and sauerkraut on a large platter. Serve with pumpernickel rye bread, mustards, cornichons, and horseradish.

Steps:

• Put the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse well. Press with the hands to extract excess liquid.
• Heat the lard in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Add one cup of the chopped onions and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until wilted chopped and add the pork hocks. Scatter sauerkraut over all. Add the wine and chicken broth.
• Tie the parsley sprigs, bay leaf and thyme into a small bundle and add it. Add the cloves and juniper berries. Cover closely and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan and add the remaining half cup of chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
• Put the pork in a mixing bowl and add the cooked onions, caraway seeds and chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Blend the pork mixture well. Shape it into 12 balls of approximately the same size. Arrange them on top of the sauerkraut. Add the smoked pork butt and continue cooking.
• When the sauerkraut and meats have cooked for 30 minutes after the first boil, add the kielbasa. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer. Serve the sauerkraut with the sliced meats and potatoes.

Steps:

• Place sauerkraut in a colander set in the sink; rinse with warm water, and drain.
• Make bouquet garni: Place peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, juniper berries, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves on square of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine.
• Melt goose fat in very large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onions; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent but not brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add wine, chicken stock, and 2 cups water to Dutch oven; stir to combine. Add dry-salted bacon, smoked bacon, pig's knuckles, pork butt, carrots, garlic, salt, and bouquet garni. Lay washed and drained sauerkraut on top of mixture in Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to bring liquid to 1 inch below sauerkraut. Cover, increase heat to high, and bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat to low; cook at strong simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add potatoes; simmer, covered, until potatoes are just becoming tender, about 30 minutes more. Add sausages; simmer, covered, until heated through, about 10 minutes more.
• Remove bouquet garni and discard. To serve choucroute garni on platter, remove meat, potatoes, and carrots from Dutch oven. Drain sauerkraut, and place in middle of serving platter. Slice bacon and pork butt. Arrange meat, potatoes, and carrots around sauerkraut on platter.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based pan. Fry the onions for 10-15 mins until soft. Add the wine and vinegar, along with the herbs and spices, and reduce to a glaze.
• Add the carrots, celery and garlic to the pan, mix well, then lay the wedges of cabbage on top. Snuggle the sausages and bacon between the cabbage chunks before pouring over the stock. Put the pan on the heat, bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins, stirring halfway through.
• Once cooked, serve in bowls with mashed potato, if you like.