What’s Stu Cooking

Choucroute is a big time winter favourite in my house. This may not be the most appetising photo, but believe me, it looks and smells just fantastic when you bring it to the table.

Choucroute, a dish from the Alsace, is French for dressed sauerkraut and is simply sauerkraut cooked with pork, usually sausages and cheap salted cuts like ham hock and back bacon. My recipe changes slightly each time I make it depending on what I have on hand, this year it was a joint of belly pork and some bratwurst from the freezer. I have adapted this from one of my favourite books, The Taste of France.

• 2 pounds (1 kg) sauerkraut
• 1-2 pound thick cut streaky or back bacon and/or assorted salted cuts of pork
• 4 or 5 bratwurst (cervelas, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, or Montbéliard sausages could also be used but may be harder to find)
• 3-4 medium sized potatoes peeled and quartered
• 1 onion sliced
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 3/4 cup white wine (200 ml), preferably Riesling
• 3/4 cup chicken stock (200 ml)
• small handful of fresh thyme tips or 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 3 small bay leaves
• 1 or 2 cloves and 8 juniper berries (optional, I’ve never tried it)
• pepper to taste

If the sauerkraut is preserved in brine then you’ll need to wash and press it in a colander to strain off the liquid. However, I found some sauerkraut in white wine that only needed to be drained slightly.

Generously grease a casserole dish with lard, goose fat, or plain old vegetable oil and lay half of the sauerkraut in the bottom. In the next layer add the onion, potatoes and the pork (do not add the sausages yet). Season with black pepper and herbs, add cloves and juniper berries if liked. Be careful, little or no additional salt should be required when you take into account the salted pork, chicken stock and the sometimes salty sauerkraut. Place the remaining sauerkraut on top and moisten with the wine and stock. Cover and cook in a low oven (325 F) for 3 hours.

Place the sausages on top and continue to cook uncovered for another 45-60 minutes or until the sausages have browned and are cooked through. Make sure that the liquid in the dish does not cook off. You want about an inch of liquid left at the end so add a splash of wine if it starts to dry out.

Enjoy with a dry Riesling wine.

Every few months we buy a pack of lamb from Highgate Farms at the local farmer’s market that contains a shoulder, leg, chops, chump steaks, and a few riblets. We save them up in the freezer until we can make a meal with them. You might not see them too often in the meat case, but I bet you can get some if you ask the butcher. They are fantastically fatty and need braising to tenderise them, but they are inexpensive and great for BBQ.

• 2 lbs lamb riblets
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup clear honey
• 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

In a dutch oven or large pan with a tight fitting lid, heat some oil on high until it starts to smoke. Season the riblets with salt and pepper and brown them in batches. Remove the ribs from the pan and set aside.

Turn off the heat as the pan will be very hot and let cool for a minute. Drop the ginger and garlic into the pan and cook for a minute or two (with the heat off if the pan is still hot). Then deglaze the pan with the cider vinegar and put the heat back on. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 300F. Layer the riblets in the pan, turning or basting them to coat with the braising liquid. Bring back to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. The oven temperature should just be hot enough to simmer the riblets. Simmer covered for about an hour turning and basting every 15 minutes or so.

Remove the lid from the pan and place back in the oven. Continue to baste and turn the ribs every 10 minutes and reduce the liquid until it just covers the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan and heat the oven to 425F.

Place the riblets on a wire rack over a baking tray covered in foil to catch any drips. Baste the ribs with the remaining cooking liquid and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp and brown nicely.

Garnish (I used chopped green onion) and serve.