Friday, August 26, 2005
Poor Man's Choucroute Garni
The Frogs ain't the only culture with a cooked sauerkraut dish; 'choucroute garni' sounds awfully elegant, but it's basically what the Poles would call bigos.
You're done. Serve with bread, butter or cheese, and a veg. ¶ 6:50 PM
- 1 lb sauerkraut
- 1 med. onion, chopped
- 4 juniper berries or 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2/3rd cup Riesling or another sweetish white wine
- 2 smoked pork chops (or 2 thin-cut regular ones)
- 1 lb kielbasa
- 6 oz Canadian bacon or slab-cut ham
- whatever cooked meats or sausages you have lying around
- Rinse the sauerkraut thoroughly, and toss it into a large saucepan or skillet.
- Add the chopped onion, juniper berries or fennel seeds, and the wine. Add water until only a thin layer of sauerkraut extends above the liquid.
- If you're using fresh pork chops, brown them in a skillet with a little oil, 3 minutes on a side. In either case, cut the pork chops off the bone (if any) and into 1/2" thick strips.
- Turn the heat to high, and start the sauerkraut mixture boiling.
- Cut the canadian bacon or ham into 1/2" thick strips. Cut the kielbasa into 3" lengths, and cut each length in half lengthwise.
- If you have leftover cooked meats or sausage, cut them into bits too.
- Throw all the meat into the sauerkraut mixture, toss, add salt and pepper to taste. Cover it, turn heat to medium, and let it bubble away for a half hour. Check it from time to time, and if it's getting dry, add a little more water. If, at the end of the half hour, it's still too liquidly, remove the lid, turn the heat to high, and boil it down a bit.
You're done. Serve with bread, butter or cheese, and a veg. ¶ 6:50 PM
