Sauerkraut Balls Fried Or Baked With Bratwurst Or Vegetarian Food

STUFFED CABBAGE WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Make the filling: Put 1 pound each of beef and pork together through the fine blade of a food chopper twice. In a bowl, combine the meat with 1 cup cooked rice, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves, both minced, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove 12 large outer leaves from a head of cabbage, reserving the remaining cabbage for another use. Dip the leaves briefly in boiling water to soften and spread them out flat on a work surface. Top each leaf with some of the filling and fold the leaves over the filling, tucking in the ends to make neat rolls. Put 2 pounds sauerkraut in a large kettle with light beer or white wine to cover and heat it gently. In a sauce pan melt 3 tablespoons lard, bacon fat or ham fat, blend in 3 tablespoons flour and cook the roux for 1 to 2 minutes. Blend it into the sauerkraut and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring constantly. Arrange the cabbage rolls on top of the sauerkraut and cook them, covered, in a moderate oven (350?F.) for 2 to 3 hours or until the filling is done. Serve the stuffed cabbage and sauerkraut topped with sour cream.;

BRATWURST STEWED WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• In a large pan, heat oil over high heat. Brown bratwurst in oil and reduce heat to medium. Add onions and garlic and cook until lightly caramelized. Add stock, paprika, caraway seeds, and sauerkraut and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh dill. Serve on baguette.

SAUERKRAUT SOUP WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Cook until the sausage is caramelized and the fat is rendered, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cider and cook until almost completely reduced. Add the sauerkraut, broth, potatoes, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and sauerkraut are very tender and the broth is flavorful, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with hot, crusty bread on the side.

MARY BETH'S SAUERKRAUT BALLS

Steps:

• Using a food ricer, rice the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauerkraut, ham, egg yolks, 1/4 cup of mustard and chopped green onions. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into small balls, about a tablespoon each. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the fryer. Season the flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs, with salt and pepper. Roll each sauerkraut ball in the flour, coating completely. Dip each in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Finally roll each in the bread crumbs. Fry the sauerkraut balls in batches until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the fryer and drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
• In small mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of the mustard and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Serve the sauerkraut balls on a large platter with the mustard dipping sauce. Garnish with parsley.

MARIE'S SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• For the pickling sachet: Place the cloves, anise, coriander, crushed red pepper, allspice, juniper berries, cinnamon and bay leaf in a small saute pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until aromatic. Remove from heat and let cool
• Make a sachet: Cut cheesecloth into a large square, place the spices in the center and wrap in a bundle and tie to secure. (Alternatively, you can use a square piece of foil: Poke small holes in the square, place the spices inside and wrap up.)
• For the sauerkraut: Shred both cabbages into a bowl and set aside. Put the vinegar, sugar and 6 cups of water in a large pot over medium heat; stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the pickling sachet, granulated garlic, pepper and salt and stir to combine. Add the shredded cabbage and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for another 30 minutes.

THE ROOT CAFE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Remove papery outer leaves of the cabbage, then cut head into quarters and remove core. Set each quarter on a flat side and slice thinly crosswise with a sharp chef's knife. To every 2 pounds 3 ounces of sliced cabbage, add 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway in a 2-gallon glass or ceramic crock, then smash and stir with a wooden meat tenderizer (the goal is to break cell walls so that water will come out) and tamp down to get air out. Continue until all cabbage is chopped, seasoned and gently smashed. Mixture will produce its own brine from salting and smashing.
• Brine should completely cover cabbage by about 1/2 inch; if not, add necessary amount of brine made of 1/3 cup salt to 1 gallon water. Place a plate down inside crock on top of cabbage; weigh down with a clear plastic bag or two filled with brine.
• Put a breathable cloth on top that is big enough to cover the surface of the crock and tie gently with twine, tight enough to hold the cloth in place but loose enough to be slipped on and off. Check kraut daily, skimming any white mold from the top and making sure brine is high enough, adding more brine if necessary. (See Cook's Note.) After 1 week, begin tasting kraut for doneness. If more salt is needed, dissolve some in water and add to kraut.
• Kraut should be ready after about 2 to 4 weeks, depending on temperature. When the kraut is ready, transfer kraut to containers, then pour or ladle brine over kraut to cover. Put lids on containers and store in the fridge. (Once the sauerkraut is stored in the fridge fermentation and flavor development will stop.)

SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, mix cabbage thoroughly with salt, juniper berries, and caraway seeds, using hands or tongs. If using your hands, make sure that they are very clean prior to mixing. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Pack cabbage mixture down into a large plastic food container. Top with a lid smaller than the opening of the container and place a glass jar filled with the quart of water on top of the lid. Place in cool area overnight (65 to 70 degrees F). In a day, the cabbage should have given up enough liquid to be completely submerged. The jar serves as a weight to keep the cabbage submerged and away from air.
• Check cabbage every other day for approximately 2 weeks and skim the surface of scum, if necessary. Let stand for 4 weeks. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.