The Best Sauerkraut

 The best sauerkraut might sound like an oxymoron to some.  It is simply one of my most favorite foods.  Actually, I have good control when it comes to food but it flies out the window when it comes to German cuisine.  The Blog Tech requested hot German potato salad so I had to make sauerkraut and kielbasa to go with it.  The salad recipe will come later.

 The secret to good sauerkraut is to cook it with some pork that has a bit of fat on it.  I like to use pork steaks though some choose to use ribs. The fat gets thrown away when you flake the meat at the end of the cooking time.

 Dip the steaks in some seasoned flour.  I seasoned them with salt, pepper and Pensey's pork chop seasoning. Fry them in a bit of oil until they form a crisp golden crust. Remove them from the pot and set them aside.

 Add 1 large sliced onion to the pot and fry until it starts to soften.

 Scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

 Sprinkle the onion with about 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds.

 Add 1 cup of beef stock.

 Enrich it with a heaping tablespoon of beef demi glace.

 Add 2 large bags of sauerkraut with it's juice.

 Add 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar.

 Add the pork steaks and their juices, 2 smoked pork chops and some kind of smoked sausage.  I like to use Debreziner because it flavors the kraut but retains it's taste. Cover the pot and bake at 325 degrees for several hours until the meat is falling apart.

 Remove all the meat and strip it of any fat. Shred the meat and cut up the sausage and return it to the kraut.  Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.  Stir in about 1/3 cup of sour cream.

I think one of the main reasons that some people don't like sauerkraut is because they have never had it made correctly.  Prepared like this it is a rich, slightly creamy and very savory dish. And it is almost time for Oktoberfest.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yes for me it's an oxymoron :-) :-) But as I've said before I might have been unlucky and tried a bad one long ago.
I wonder if ready made is something worth trying?

Have a great day!
Christer.
Robin Larkspur said…
I have to say you certainly make it look good.
TARYTERRE said…
I HATE sauerkraut. But I must admit yours looks good. OCTOBERFEST, yeah.
Do you serve it with a good German beer?
Anonymous said…
wow, this is an amazing dish.We had a huge pail of sauerkraut picking in our livingroom every Fall , behind my dads recliner chair, classy huh!!
My family would go crazy for this,
My mouth is watering! This looks so delicious, and I'm starving, it's time for lunch! Great recipe, can't wait to make it!
I love sauerkraut too. Mom always used Bacon drippings, a sliced onion, slices of an apple, brown sugar, and a touch of oregano, of course S&P to your taste. it always cooked for about 2 hours so that the kraut and all the ingredients were tender and most tasty.
Mother was Polish and an EXCELLENT COOK. This is how I cook it too. I Do not use bacon drippings for anything else but this ... it makes all the difference in the world. I then save the crispy bacon bits to sprinkle on salads. Nothing is wasted.
This is sooo good. I wish I had a big plate right now. The only way to make kraut. I have to have a big skillet of cornbread with it.
Barb said…
My DD and I love sauerkraut. I never thought of cooking it with pork. It is part of our Thanksgiving meal every yer.
Anna Hanley said…
Looking so yummy,That is my husbands favorite.Enjoy, Anna
luckybunny said…
I cannot wait to try this recipe! It's going near the top of my list.
Dog Trot Farm said…
Okay, I probably am the only person on the planet who has not sampled sauerkraut. Your post has peaked my interest. A prayer was said and a candle lit yesterday in honor of dear Kary. Blessings, Julie.
Guillaume said…
I LOVE sauerkraut. Never made it, but I use to buy some every time I bought sausages at William Walters in Montreal.
Margaret said…
I love German food and sauerkraut. I plan on doing an Octoberfest dinner with our neighbor. Thank you posting this. Now I feel like eating kielbasa or bratwurst with a heaing side of sauerkraut!

maggie
Ina in Alaska said…
I lit a candle at 3 PM Alaska time on Saturday (that is 7 PM in the East) and sent good thoughts to all at the gathering for Kari. As it was the afternoon, I was preparing Caesar Salad dressing for that evening's dinner (by candlelight). It was very delicious.

love it, wonderful comfort food:)
Suzanne said…
I am not fond of it but you make it look very tasty!
Unknown said…
Here you go with that pork again!! god it makes my mouth absolutely water and yr pics with the sauerkraut are fab!!! Yum is all I can say!!!
Just hearing the word "OCTOBERFEST" makes me happy! What a great time of year we are heading into!!