Choucroute
A hearty, warming dish eaten a lot in the Alsace during the colder months.
Homemade sauerkraut or store bought sauerkraut can be used. Super simple to make too makes it a winner on many levels. It uses plenty of pork and if you cannot get your hands on the types we use you can certainly improvise.
Serves 8
Wine Pairing - Léon Boesch Riesling Les Grandes Lignes
Ingredients
- 60ml duck fat
- 450g Kielbasa
- 450g whole piece of bacon (Smoked is best) cut into chunks
- 450g baby back ribs sliced
- 450g sauerkraut
- 4 onions thinly sliced
- 4 carrots diagonally sliced
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorn
- 10 whole cloves
- 8 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- 450ml chicken stock
- 300ml white wine
- 160g baby red potatoes
- Mustard for dressing
- Crusty Bread
Method
- You can use a dutch oven, casserole dish or a heavy based pan.
- We’re using a dutch oven.
- Heat the duck fat over medium high heat.
- Take ¼ of each of your meat items and cook for about 8 minutes turning as needed.
- Transfer first ¼ to a plate and continue until all the meat is cooked.
- Add your onions to the dutch oven and fry for 5 minutes before adding carrots.
- Cook and stir for about 10 minutes.
- We got store bought sauerkraut.
- Add this to the dutch oven with your juniper berries, peppercorns, cloves, garlic and bay leaves.
- Cook for about 4 minutes.
- Add the meat you already cooked, stock and white wine.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 1 hour.
- Meat should be super tender.
- Add your spuds and continue to cook until they are tender, 20 - 30 minutes.
- Transfer your meat to a chopping board and slice it up.
- Put back into the dutch oven and serve up into bowls.
- Or transfer to a large platter dish to serve.
- Either way everyone should put a good amount of mustard over the top like you would a hot dog. Crusty bread never fails on the side.
- Enjoy.