Choucroute Garnie
Choucroute garnie is a satisfying comfort food made from sauerkraut, sausage and potatoes. It is a traditional dish from Alsace, a region of France combining German and French influences.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ lb. bacon, chopped (Kurobuta pork bacon & cubed wild boar bellies work beautifully)
- 4 pork chops (kurobuta pork chops or wild boar chops would be even better!)
- 12 oz. rabbit sausage
- 6 yukon gold potatoes or yellow finn potatoes, medium diced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups sauerkraut (preferably bagged, not canned, but any will do)
- ½ bottle of Alsatian wine, such as reisling
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon whole caraway
- Tellicherry peppercorns
- 10 juniper berries, crushed with the side of a knife
- 3 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade chicken stock)
DIRECTIONS
- Prep Sauerkraut
1
Soak sauerkraut in cold water for 20 minutes. Then, rinse in a colander. This will remove the intense vinegary note and make the flavor of the cabbage stand out. It helps to create a dish that is more balanced.
- Prep Pork Chops
1
Pat the pork chops with a paper towel to dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cooking Instructions
1
Cut bacon or belly into chunks. Add to dutch oven that has been brought to medium heat. Rendering the bacon/belly will provide the cooking fat for the dish.
2
Once the bacon has been rendered and has crisped up, remove it and all but 2 tbsps of fat from the pan.
3
Add the pork chops to the pan and brown them on each side.
4
Once the pork chops have browned browned, remove them as well. Pour off any excess fat.
5
Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. If the fond (browned bits at bottom of pan) is at risk of burning, deglaze with a few tablespoons of wine.
6
Add the following to the onions and garlic: drained sauerkraut, wine, carrots, bacon (but not the bacon fat), juniper berries, bay leaf, caraway, black pepper to taste, browned pork chops and chicken stock
7
Bring to simmer.
8
Put the lid on the dutch oven and move it to an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Braise for 1 ½ hours.
9
Halfway through the braise, return 2 tablespoons bacon fat to a sauté pan. Once hot, add whole rabbit sausage and brown on each side. Add browned sausage to the dutch oven (simply nestle it on top with the pork chops).
10
Also while dish is braising, prepare the potatoes: Add potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a low boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and drain.
11
Remove the dutch oven from oven once the 1 ½ hours have elapsed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Presentation
Arrange a bed of some of the sauerkraut mixture along with some of the potatoes. Top them with a piece of sausage and a pork chop.
Comments 2
After a summer of student penury at the University of Strasbourg, I treated myself to dinner at an actual restaurant. In response to my query about Alsatian food, the waiter recommended charcroute garni. Embarrassed to ask the meaning of “charcroute”—our conversation was in French—I blindly took his advice. I was overwhelmed by a simply *huge* platter (much like yours, save for the addition of fried egg and a far greater sauerkraut:other ingredient ratio). It was, the waiter explained, the twentieth anniversary of the liberation on Strasbourg by the Allies and any American who traveled to Strasbourg, spoke French (however poorly), and ordered an Alsatian specialty deserved all the charcroute he could eat, all the charcroute garni the kitchen could prepare. I was delighted by the meal and touched beyond measure by the fraternité and gratitude of a man many decades my senior.
Thank you for the opportunity to recall this charcroute garni moment a half-century ago.
Back from Ribeauville 2 months now and cant get charcroute out of my head. Cant wait to make this and feast tomorrow!!!