Dinner · 120 min · french

Choucroute Garnie

Sauerkraut does the heavy lifting here, with smoked sausages rounding it out. A French dinner that takes 120 minutes, start to finish.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 lb Sauerkraut
• 1 lb Smoked sausages
• 1 lb Pork shoulder
• 6 oz Thick-cut bacon
• 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1.5 cups Dry Riesling
• 8 Juniper berries
• 2 Bay leaves

Steps

1. Rinse the sauerkraut briefly — one quick rinse takes the harsh edge off while keeping its character — and squeeze it dry. Waterlogged kraut steams; dry kraut fries and caramelizes.
2. Render the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp, lift it out, and brown the pork shoulder in the fat in batches. Crowding the pot steams the meat instead of searing it; give each piece its space.
3. Add the sauerkraut, juniper, and bay, pour in the Riesling, and nestle the pork back in. Cover and braise at 325°F for 90 minutes. The wine and pork fat slowly tame the kraut into something mellow and savory.
4. Add the potatoes and sausages for the last 30 minutes — sausages added too early split and go mealy; potatoes added too early dissolve into the kraut.
5. Pile everything onto a big platter with the kraut as the bed, meats arranged on top, and serve with strong mustard and more Riesling. This is peasant food at its most generous: one pot, no apologies.

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