Beer-braised Sauerkraut w/ smoked Hamhocks

Sauerkraut. Very cool.

It has a long tradition and was made initially in ceramic stone jars, which were later replaced by wooden barrels for larger commercial productions. The 'Kraut is rich in lactobacilli, Vitamins A, B, C & D, several mineral compounds and is an important provider of Vitamin C during cold winter times. Today, many different versions of Sauerkraut exist, made from white cabbage, green cabbage and even red cabbage. In addition, there are even more recipes out there using Sauerkraut. For this recipe here I used Sauerkraut made from white cabbage.

Anyway, beer-braised 'Kraut is, just like the name says, braised with beer, usually a dark, hoppier beer such as a Doppelbock which is exactly what I used.

Besides beer, though, we'll need a bunch of other cool stuff which makes this dish so damn tasty and flavorful. Next to a bunch of bay leaves and cloves, we also need a few garlic cloves, fresh thyme, juniper berries and onions, among other things. Here's the entire list of ingredients...

6 lbs Sauerkraut, drained and rinsed in a large colander
5 smoked Hamhocks
2 smoked Turkey Kielbasas
5 Bratwursts, soaked in beer for 1 hour
3 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

...and for the spices we'll need...

8 whole cloves
5 bay leaves
20 whole black peppercorns
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, finely chopped
12 whole, dried juniper berries
2 Tbsp caraway seeds

Main Ingredients

The rest is pretty simple...and I'll outline this in a quick matter, just posting the stuff I scribbled down during the entire process. So, this is straight from my notes...

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the Sauerkraut in a large colander and give it a quick rinse under cold water to remove some of the saltiness. Don't rinse too long or you'll lose too much of the flavor. Transfer the 'Kraut to a large roasting pan (I used one of those deep, aluminum Turkey roasters) or a large enough dutch oven. Add the herbs and spices and stir them in. Set aside.

To soak the Brats, cut three small slits in them on two sides and place them in a rectangular container or bowl. Pour over a bottle of beer - I used Gordon Biersch's Czech-style Pilsener - and set aside until later. 

Peel and cut onions in half, then into slices. Heat 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet, add the onions and sauté until soft. Add half a cup of the Doppelbock beer, season with salt and pepper and bring the onions to a light simmer over medium heat for about 10 mins. Now we add them, beer and all, to the Sauerkraut and combine everything. Pour in the rest of the beer, but not before you took a quick swig to check if the beer's still good, and add the beef stock. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt (easy on the salt, though. The 'Kraut's already a bit on the salty side). Combine well.

Next we'll place the Hocks and Kielbasa on top of the 'Kraut and work them in so everything's evenly distributed throughout the roasting pan. Cover the entire roaster tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Position the roaster on the middle rack, set the timer for 90 minutes and kick back.

After the time's up, pull the roaster out of the oven and carefully! (hot steam) remove the foil. Using a pair of tongs, turn the 'Hocks over, flip the Kielbasa pieces and give the 'Kraut also a quick stir. Cover again and place back in the oven. Set timer for another 90 minutes. Now it's a good time to start browning our beer-soaked Brats. Add a bit of olive oil to a pan, heat over medium-high heat and pat the Brats dry. fry them until they're are nicely browned on both sides but not fully cooked. That happens during the last 30 minutes of the cooking. Cover the pan and set aside for later. Have a beer.

Save one of these tasty suckers for a "Brat Baguette", topped with braised 'Kraut and Dijon mustard!

After the second 90 minutes are gone by, we repeat the step from above and take out the roaster again and open the foil. You should see the meat from the 'Hocks almost falling off of the bone by now. That's when we take the 'Hocks and the Kielbasas out. Next we'll start removing the thick, fatty skin and the meat from the Hocks' bones, using a sharp knife. I usually save the bones to make stock out of it. Cut the meat into larger chunks and transfer it back into the roaster on top of the 'Kraut.

Sprinkle a bit of flour over the 'Kraut, add a Tbsp of organic sugar and a couple of Tbsp of Dijon Mustard for added flavor. The flour will thicken the juices and bind them, giving the 'Kraut a smooth, less watery consistency. Stir everything well, put the Kielbasa pieces back in, cover again and place everything back into the oven and set the timer for 60 minutes this time. At the 30-minute mark add the Brats to it and put back into the oven to finish cooking, uncovered for the last 30 minutes.

There are many ways to serve the braised Sauerkraut but my favorite one is to serve it along some simple, pan-fried potatoes and a cold beer. Even just a thick slice of fresh Rye or Country bread will do the trick.

Dann 'mal Prost!