GOD BLESS THE USA
I used to know a german guy in a suburb of Rochester NY with a chain if German Restaurants. The food was very good. I watched them make sauerkraut one day and since then I have a different view of kraut. I have 3 recipes - traditional, basic and advanced:
Traditional: slice cabbage, add salt, wait 3 weeks and voila "sauerkraut" - (I don't do this... ever)
Basic: Thinly slice cabbage, thinly slice some sweet nions (or any onion for that matter), sautee the onion in lots of butter or - even better - some pork or sausage fat. Add the sliced cabbage and either a) cover and simmer all day, or b) put in a waterless pot or crock pot and cook all day. You can also add to this canned sauerkraut (I strain and rinse before adding) - or you can buy just the sauerkraut juice - which is always better tasting than the canned sauerkraut itself.
Advanced: (This is how I like it) cook some pork sausage and then add some sliced onions and saute them in the pork fat and sausage. add slice cabbage and some canned sauerkraut juice (not the canned kraut, and not the juice from canned kraut - but a can of "sauerkraut juice", fill the pot to the top with cabbage. Add a little sliced bartwurst and some chicken broth. I use a "waterless" cast iron dutch oven - and put it in the oven. Bake at like 325 for a few hours. You can also add white wine or beer - shots of german schaaps (like williams birne or mirabelen) should be reserved for the cook. Some times I will add a few caraway seeds, sometimes I don't.
Grain Bill:
6 lbs. European 2 row Malt
3 lbs. Vienna Malt
1 Lb. Crystal Malt 20
1 lb. Carapils Malt
1 Lb. Wheat
.13 lb. Chocolate Malt
15 quarts of soft water for mash – in
For the best flavor use a triple Decoction Mash at:
109 degrees for 30 minutes
( Pull off 1/3 of the mash, heat to Boiling) and return to mash to raise temp to:
133 degrees for 45 minutes
( Pull off 1/3 of the mash, heat to Boiling) and return to mash to raise temp to:
155 degrees for 1 hour
Heat mash to 165 degrees and hold for 5 minutes then sparge to obtain 6.5 gallons of wort
Boil wort 90 minutes adding hops per the following schedule:
30 minutes - 1 oz. Tettnanger (4% alpha acid)
60 minutes – 1 oz Saaz (3% alpha acid)
75 Minutes – ½ oz Saaz (3% alpha acid)
85 Minutes – ½ oz. Saaz (3% alpha acid)
Rapid cool to 52 degrees and add a starter of Wyeast Munich Lager Yeast #2308.
Ferment at 52° F for two weeks. Rack to secondary and age cold (36° F) for six to eight weeks. Preform a diacetyl rest by allowing to temperature to rise to 65°for 3 days.
Krausen with ½ gallon Fresh wort, bottle, and condition at 46° F or below for four months.
Serve and Enjoy!
5 medium potatoes
boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbs horseradish
2 tsp parsley, minced
Peel and quarter potatoes. Cook in boiling salted water in medium-sized saucepan until tender, drain. Mash adding 1 tbs butter and the pepper. Add sour cream, horseradish and parsley. Whip as for mashed potatoes. Place in serving bowl and top with butter.
1/2 lb lean beef
1.2 lb veal or lean beaf
1/2 lb lean pork
2 slices white bread
1/4 cup milk, beef broth or water
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbs butter
2 beaten eggs
3 Tbs snipped parsley
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
5 cups vegetable or beef broth
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs snipped parsley
salt and pepper
hot cooked noodles or spaetzle
drained capers or chopped pickles (optional)
sour cream (optional)
anchovies, finely chopped (optional)
Have your butcher grind beef, veal and/or pork together twice (or buy ground beef, veal and pork and process together in food grinder).
In a small bowl soak bread in milk, broth or water and set aside.
In a small skillet cook onion in the butter until tender but not brown. Squeeze and discard any milk from bread.
In mixing bowl combine eggs, bread, onion mixture, parsley, salt, Worcestershire, peel juice, paprika and nutmeg. Add meat; mix well.
In a 4 1/2 Qt dutch over bring vegetable or beef broth to boiling. Meanwhile, with wet hands, shape meat mixture into 2-inch balls. Carefully drop into boiling broth. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until no longer pink in center.
With a slotted spoon transfer the meatballs to serving bowl: keep warm. Measure and reserve 2 cups of the stock; discard any remaining stock.
In the dutch oven melt the 3 Tbs butter. Stir in flour. Add the 2 cups reserved stock all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in the 2 Tbs parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve klops and gravy with noodles or spaetzle (and capers, sour cream and anchovies if you like).
Makes 6 servings.
1/2 cup water
1 large apple, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, halved
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 tsp caraway seed
4 juniper berries (in store's spice section).
4 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
dash salt
dash pepper
2 Tbs butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water
1 Tbs brown or granulated sugar
In 4 1/2 quart dutch oven or kettle combine cabbage, the 1/2 cup water, the apple, lemon, onion, garlic, vinegar and caraway seed. Tie juniper berries, whole black pepper and bay leaf in a 100% cotton bag; add to cabbage mixture with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes more or until cabbage is tender. Remove lemon halves and spice bag.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Stir in flour till smooth. Add broth or water all at once... Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add sugar. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
Pour thickened stock over cabbage; stir to combine. If desired, add more vinegar.