Name: Choucroute Garnie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 lb. pork shoulder; 1 tsp. salt; ½ tsp. black pepper; 1 quart sauerkraut, drained and rinsed; 1 small onion, sliced; 4 oz. thick-sliced hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 tsp. juniper berries; 1 tsp. caraway seeds; 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns; ½ tsp. allspice; 2 bay leaves; 1 cup dry white wine, or apple cider, chicken stock or water; 1 and ½ lbs. mixed fully cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, bratwurst, or beef frankfurters, cut into 3-inch pieces; 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

DESCRIPTION

Choucroute Garnie, an iconic Alsatian dish of braised sauerkraut garnished with all forms of pork can be a bit daunting, but this simplified version takes 15 minutes to prep with the rest of the work being done in the oven.
Serve with assorted mustards and a crusty bread.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb. pork shoulder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 quart sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, sliced
4 oz. thick-sliced hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp. juniper berries
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine, or apple cider, chicken stock or water
1 and 1/2 lbs. mixed fully cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, bratwurst, or beef frankfurters, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
Pat the pork shoulder dry and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the sauerkraut over the bottom of a large Dutch oven or heat-proof casserole.
Layer the onion and bacon over the sauerkraut.
Sprinkle the juniper berries, caraway seeds, peppercorns, allspice, and bay leaves over the onions and sauerkraut and pour in the wine or other liquid.
Nestle the seasoned pork shoulder in the center and cover tightly with a lid or foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.
Insert a fork into the pork shoulder, if it slides out easily, arrange the sausages and potatoes around the pork. (If the pork isn’t fork-tender, cover and cook for another 25 – 30 minutes before adding the sausages and potatoes.)
Cook for another 30 minutes covered. Increase the heat to 425˚F, remove the lid or foil and allow the pork shoulder, potatoes and sausages to brown a bit, between 10 – 15 minutes.
To serve, pull the pork shoulder into chunks with two forks. You can leave all of the ingredients in the pan and serve with a large spoon or transfer to a platter with the pork, potatoes, and sausages arranged over the sauerkraut.
Pass the assorted mustards and bread to accompany.