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Express sauerkraut

Sauerkraut (choucroute in French) is a traditional Alsatian recipe. It consists of fermented cabbage slowly cooked with white wine, potatoes and a variety of salted pork meats. This is a simplified and fairly quick version.

355K 1× 3.8/5 based on 48 reviews

Last modified on: February 21^th 2011

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For 12 people, you will need:

1 1 litre raw sauerkraut
2 2 Morteaux sausage
3 500 ml smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon)
4 500 ml pork shoulder
5 1 litre potatoes
6 2 glasses dry white wine
7 2 onions
8 6 tablespoons goose fat
9 1 lemon
10 salt
11 pepper

Change to the quantities for: 2 people 3 people 6 people 12 people 18 people

Change measures: Metric

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How long will it take?

Time required for this recipe:

Preparation	Cooking	Start to finish
42 min.	1 hour 42 min.	2 hours 24 min.

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Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - 5 min.

Peel and chop 2 onions.

Stage 2 - 20 min.

Peel and wash medium size 1 litre potatoes.

If they are too big, cut into 2 or 4, it's important that they are of similar size for even cooking.

Stage 3 - 5 min.

Cut 500 ml smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon) and 500 ml pork shoulder into fairly large pieces.

Melt 6 tablespoons goose fat in a large pan on high heat fire, and when lightly smoking add pieces of meat.

Stage 4 - 10 min.

Brown all over. This is not to cook the meat, so it only takes 1 or 2 minutes each side.

When meat is browned, remove from pan and leave on a plate.

If you have a lot of meat, do this in stages.

Stage 5 - 1 min.

When all the meat is removed, add chopped onion, salt, pepper and mix well.

Stage 6 - 2 min.

Cook onion gently on its own for 2 minutes without letting it colour (it should not fry).

Stage 7 - 1 min.

Add 1 litre raw sauerkraut, stir well.

Stage 8 - 5 min.

Pour in 2 glasses dry white wine, if possible a wine from Alsace like Sylvaner or Riesling, stir again.

Stage 9 - 30 min.

Put meat on top and 2 Morteaux sausage that has been pricked all over with a sharp knife. Turn heat to low, cover, and leave to cook for 30 minutes (or more).

Stage 10 - 1 hour

After this time, remove meat and sausage, add juice of 1 lemon, mix well, add potatoes, and put meat and sausage back in.

Leave to cook 30 minutes covered, then 30 more minutes uncovered. Check if potatoes are done: a knife should go through easily.

Stage 11 - 5 min.

Choucroute should be served at the table: the whole dish is put in the centre of the table; one of the guests cuts the sausage into thick slices, then everyone serves himself and can come back for more.

Remarks

Sauerkraut is one of those amazing dishes that can be reheated any number of times, each time tasting even better. The very best, in my opinion, is when the cabbage starts to brown a little and caramalise - a real treat.

you can adapt the recipe to your taste, or what you have available. However, it's a worth including at least one piece of smoked pork; the taste is so different, and so good!

As for wine, I would insist a dry white is best. I'm not a fan of Gewurztraminer, which seems too aromatic and sweet for this dish, but it's a matter of personal taste.

Of course this is not "the" Alsatian sauerkraut recipe, so no need to send in barbed comments on the subject...

And to drink?

An Alastian wine of course, otherwise a dry white.

Why not drink the same one you use in the recipe?

Or a good beer?

Keeping

Several days in the fridge, covered by a plastic film.

Source

Home made, but this recipe is dedicated to my great aunts Marthe and Suzanne from Guebwiller where I ate my first Alsatian choucroute a long long time ago...

Nutritional information

Whole recipe
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
7,250 Kcal or 30,354 Kj	296 gr	287 gr	546 gr
362 %	114 %	27 %	83 %

Per 100 g
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
166 Kcal or 695 Kj	7 gr	7 gr	12 gr
8 %	3 %	1 %	2 %

Per person
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
604 Kcal or 2,529 Kj	25 gr	24 gr	46 gr
30 %	9 %	2 %	7 %

% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2000 k-calories or 8400 k-joules by day for a woman (change to a man).

Possible allergens in this recipe: Sulfites

How much will it cost?

For 12 people : 22.04 €
Per person : 1.84 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.

This recipe uses (among others)

	Raw sauerkraut: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Seafood sauerkraut, ... All
	Potatoes: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Smoky potato and potimarron gratin, Bourguignon potatoes , Endive and beer soup, Vegetable pie, Pan-fried potatoes, ... All
	Smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon): You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Warm lentil salad, Soup Cornouaillaise, Mornay onion tart, Boeuf (beef) bourguignon, ... All
	Pork shoulder: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Cured Pork Belly With Lentils, ... All

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The 1 comment already posted on this recipe

Pork with Sauerkraut is often an overlooked marriage. I happen to think it should be brought to the head of the table once again. I like the addition of Riesling and lemon juice. I usually add apple juice and apples...
Posted by Louise june 1^st 2009 at 22:36 n° 1

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