Choucroute Garnie is a specialty of the Alsace region of France. It's a collection of different types of pork - smoked, cured, sausage...but Choucroute Garnie is really all about the sauerkraut. You see all that wonderful pork, and think that it's the important part. But it's not. Now, don't get me wrong, the pork is good. Really good. But it's real purpose is to give the sauerkraut its wonderful flavor.
*And with a carafe of dry Alsatian Riesling...I have to go back to Paris, if just for this meal!I've been a fan of sauerkraut since I was in high school, buying Polish Boys from the hot dog carts in downtown Cleveland - knockwurst loaded up with onions and sauerkraut. Heaven in a bun! But this, this is sauerkraut perfection.
Diane's memory of sauerkraut is a little different*.
*She calls my beloved Polish Boys "smelly dogs". And she's part Polish!
Her family's tradition is to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day*, because it will bring good luck for the new year. Diane is still scarred from this experience - she tells stories about her siblings forcing down their one strand of sauerkraut a year, just to make grandma happy. She gives this recipe her highest praise for something with sauerkraut in it - she'll eat it, willingly.
*Of course, I made the mistake of saying "New Year's eve" when I was talking with the salesperson at Sur La Table about this meal, and I got a lecture about how it works. Pork and sauerkraut has to be eaten on New Year's DAY, not New Year's Eve, or it doesn't count. No good luck for you!
📖 Recipe Card
Choucroute Garnie (Sauerkraut with Pork and Sausage)
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
The Alsatian classic - sauerkraut braised with Riesling, bacon, cured pork, bratwurst and kielbasa, served with mustards and cornichons.
Ingredients
Meat
- 2 tablespoons lard (or vegetable oil)
- ¼ pound thick sliced bacon
- 1 pound cured pork side, rind removed
- 1 package (19 ounces) uncooked bratwurst, each link cut in half
- 2 pounds kielbasa, cut into 3 inch pieces (or other fully cooked, garlicky sausage)
Aromatics
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
Sauerkraut
- 2 pounds fresh sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup dry Riesling (or other non-oaky white wine)
- 1 cup homemade chicken stock, or water
For Serving
- Assorted mustards (Maille Dijon and Maille horseradish Dijon are particularly good)
- Prepared white horseradish
- Cornichons (French style gherkin pickles)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brown the meats: Heat the lard in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat until melted, then add the bacon, pork side, and bratwurst. Sauté, turning occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the brats are browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate, leaving as much fat in the pot as possible.
- Sauté the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onions, juniper, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and thyme. Sauté until the onions are softened and just starting to brown, about 6 minutes.
- Add the sauerkraut and meats: Stir the sauerkraut into the onion mixture, then add the browned meats and the kielbasa, pushing them into the sauerkraut to submerge. Add the wine and chicken stock, then add water to just cover the rest of the ingredients. Raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
- Bake: Cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 1 ½ hours, until the liquid is mostly absorbed by the sauerkraut and everything on top is starting to brown just a little.
- Rest: Remove the pot from the oven, and let it rest for up to ½ hour to cool.
- Serve: Pile the sauerkraut in the middle of a platter, and arrange the meats around it. Serve with the mustards, horseradish and cornichons on the side.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Equipment: A large (6 quart or larger) heavy Dutch oven with a lid - enameled cast iron is perfect.
Apples: For a little sweetness, or to make the recipe a little more German, peel and core 3 apples, cut them into 1 inch pieces, and add them after the onions have been sautéing for a few minutes.
The meats are variable - you want some that are smoky, and some that are garlicky. I try to always use the bacon and the bratwurst. I've replaced the cured pork side with a ham steak or smoked pork loin, and swapped the kielbasa for smoked sausage or Hungarian sausage, or just added more brats.
If that's too much meat for you, strip it down to the bacon and brats, with a lot of sauerkraut. It's still great.
This is a one-pot meal for us, unless it's a holiday like New Year's - then I make the traditional side of boiled new potatoes with parsley.
The kids eat this...if they don't see the brats touching the sauerkraut. Before it goes to the table, I put some brats in hot dog buns just for them.
Serve with a dry Riesling - preferably from Alsace, but any good, dry Riesling will do.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
*The Man Who Ate Everything
: JeffreySteingarten for his "TrueChoucroute" article. Now there's a man who makes my food obsessions look normal.*Epicurious.com recipe for Choucroute Garnie.
*Brasserie Flo. I will return!
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