This one is entirely down to me. It is an attempt to create something of the hearty, warming Germanic food to be found in the alpine huts of the Austrian ski resorts without going to the elaborate lengths of a full blown Choucroute Garni . This is a one pot meal that requires no accompaniment other than, perhaps, some chilled hefe weizen or riesling.
Planning
| serves: | 2 |
| preparation time: | 15 mins |
| cooking time: | 45 mins |
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 6 oz smoked bacon lardons
- 2 pork chops
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 eating apple, cored, skinned and chopped
- 8 juniper berries, crushed
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp plain flour
- 1 small wineglass dry white wine (preferably Riesling)
- 1 “barrel” sauerkraut (approx 800g)
Method
Empty the sauerkraut into a colander. If you prefer a milder flavour, rinse it to remove excess vinegar and drain it briefly. (Don’t squeeze it, we want a little moisture.)
Heat the oil over medium heat in a suitable casserole (which should have a tight-fitting lid). Fry the bacon lardons until the fat begins to run. While the bacon is cooking, remove any rind and bone from the pork chops and cut them into ½ inch chunks. When the bacon is browned and has released most of its fat, remove it from the pan and set aside.
Now add the pork chunks to the casserole and brown them evenly over quite high heat. While the pork is browning, skin, core and finely chop the apple. When the pork is browned, remove it from the pan and set aside with the bacon.
Now add the onion to the pan with a little more olive oil if necessary and fry until soft and translucent. Stir the apple into the onion and cook for another couple of minutes before returning the bacon and pork chunks to the pan. Toss in the crushed juniper berries, add the flour and stir. When the flour is incorporated, stir in the white wine and bring to simmering point.
Now lower the heat and stir the sauerkraut into the pan. Season with freshly ground black pepper and stir all the ingredients together. Cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning – depending upon the bacon and the sauerkraut, you may or may not want to add a little salt.
Serve platefuls of this with glasses of hefe weizen.
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