Choucroute by Dad

A traditional Alsatian dish with hearty ingredients

preptime30 min
cooktime2 hr
servings10-12 portions
Ingredients

Ingredients:

meats

  • 5 veal sausages

  • 5 Wiener sausages

  • Thick slices of bacon, cut into cubes

  • Thick slices of ham

vegetables

  • 1kg sauerkraut, drained

  • 600g steamed potatoes

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

seasonings

  • 750ml dry white wine or beer

  • Whole black pepper, to taste

  • Salt, to taste

fats

  • 2 tbsp lard, goose fat, or butter

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp regular oil

  • Boiling water (as needed)

Preparation

Preparation:

  1. Prepare the sausages by simmering in water until cooked, keeping the water below boiling to avoid splitting. Set aside

  2. In a large, heavy pot, heat the lard or fat of choice with olive and regular oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and black pepper, cooking until the onion softens but doesn’t brown

  3. Add the drained sauerkraut to the pot, mixing well with the onions. Pour in the wine or beer, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally

  4. Add the bacon cubes, mixing them into the sauerkraut, and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the bacon softens

  5. Add the whole steamed potatoes and ham slices, allowing them to heat and absorb flavors for 30 minutes

  6. Finally, add the sausages for the last 10 minutes of cooking to let them absorb the choucroute flavors

Notes

Notes:

  • It's best to cook the sausages in water in advance, simultaneously with the rest of the dish, so they can be added directly to the pot to finish cooking

  • Use very dry wine without sweetness for the best flavor

  • Pork can be substituted with duck or goose, and kosher versions include kabanos, merguez, chorizo, smoked goose breast, smoked beef, and ribs

  • In Alsace, choucroute is typically cooked in pork or goose fat along with white wine or beer instead of butter

  • Champagne (Choucroute Royale) and luxurious cuts (like foie gras and game meat) can replace wine for a more upscale version

  • Traditional recipes always include black pepper, but variations may add cloves, allspice, garlic, juniper berries, caraway seeds, and bay leaves

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