Le Choucroute Du Baron Recipes

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Immerse the sauerkraut in a large bowl filled with cold water, and soak for 15 minutes.
• While sauerkraut is soaking, place the chopped bacon and the optional bacon rind in a heavy, oven proof pot over high heat. Saute for 1 minute. Turn heat to medium-low, add the garlic and saute for another minute.
• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Squeeze the sauerkraut dry, reserving 1 cup of the soaking water and add the sauerkraut to the pot. Stir well to blend with bacon. Add the reserved cup of soaking water, the white wine, the juniper berries, the peppercorns and the cloves. Bring to boil on top of stove and boil until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 20-30 minutes).
• Imbed the meats in the sauerkraut, cover the pot and cook in the oven until the meats are hot, about 30 minutes. Serve on a large platter.

PIG'S FOOT (AU PIED DU COCHON)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place onions, garlic, and rosemary in the bottom of a cold saute pan. Place the pig's foot in the center of the pan, with the smaller part of the foot down. Place the tomatoes along 1 side of the foot and the mushrooms along the other. Pour the pork stock and mushroom juice over the pig's foot and place the pan on the top rack of the oven. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, basting every 3 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden and the center is hot (approximately 145 degrees F). Once the pig's foot is ready, place it on a plate and cut the butcher's twine. Serve with boiled potatoes, if desired. While you are doing this, let sauce cook over a high flame until slightly reduced. Add the vinaigrette base, salt, pepper, and haricots verts and stir to combine. Once you have added the vinaigrette, remove from heat or the emulsification will break. Dress the pig's foot with the sauce and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
• Rinse the pig's foot under cold running water for 10 minutes and dry thoroughly. Use a spoon to stuff half of the pig's foot with the Stuffing. Liberally salt the foie gras and place it inside the pig's foot. Add the rest of the stuffing and pack tightly. Thread the butcher's twine through the needle and heat the tip of the needle over the candle; the hot needle will pass through the fat and skin more easily. Sew the pig's foot shut, tying it off at 1 end and then the other.
• Bring the poaching liquid to a boil, add the pig's foot, and turn off the flame. Poach for 10 minutes or until pig's foot feels firm to the touch.
• Heat a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to haze. Add 1 tablespoon of pork fat and the mushrooms, making sure mushrooms are in 1 even layer. Let the mushrooms sit in the pan, without movement, for 30 seconds or until a nice golden color forms. Toss the mushrooms and repeat until nicely colored. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 30 more seconds. Pour mushrooms into a sieve set over a plastic container and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a splash of water or white wine and pour over the mushrooms.
• Reheat the pan over medium heat and add the rest of the pork fat. Add onions and rosemary, stirring constantly so as not to form any color. Sweat the onions until they become soft and translucent. At this point, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then add cubed pork meat and toss lightly until everything is combined; make sure the meat does not fall apart or you will lose some texture in the stuffing. Once everything is combined, add pig foot meat, season with salt and pepper, and turn the heat to low. As the collagen in the foot meat begins to melt, add the reserved porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid for the sauce. Stir occasionally until everything is combined and evenly seasoned. Transfer stuffing to a plate and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Using a boning knife, peel the skin of the shank away from the meat until you reach the ankle. Use a saw or a cleaver to cut the bone at the ankle. Place the pig's foot and shank in a deep pan with the pork stock, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, and peppercorns and place in oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Once cooked, pull the shank meat off the bone and reserve. Discard the bone. Pull the skin off the pig's foot and remove all of the bone, reserving the meat and discarding the bone.
• Put the mustard, vinegar, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy. Slowly drizzle in half of the oil while whisking constantly. Drizzle in the water and then the remaining oil, while still whisking rapidly. The vinaigrette should be light and creamy.

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut thoroughly, put aside. In a rondeau melt the duck fat and saute the onion until tender, add garlic bay leaves, juniper berries and thyme. Saute until golden brown, deglaze with Reisling wine. Add 1/2 of the sauerkraut, place bacon slab and ham shanks in the middle and then top with remaining sauerkraut. Pour chicken stock over making sure it covers the sauerkraut (if not enough, add water). Cover the pan with foil and place in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours. Wash red bliss potatoes and steam whole for 30 to 40 minutes. Peel potatoes and set aside. Cut sausages in half and warm in boiling water. Place pork chops in oven to warm. Take sauerkraut out of the oven and remove bacon and ham shanks. Slice the bacon in half. Remove pork chops out of oven. Place sauerkraut in the center of a large oval tray, place all meats around sauerkraut, place bacon and ham shanks, on top of sauerkraut. Place warm potatoes around with the meat, Serve Dijon mustard on the side.

CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot over medium-low eat. Melt the duck fat and butter, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and golden but not browned, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the sauerkraut under hot water to remove excess salt. When it starts to stick to your fingers, drain well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands.
• Add the sauerkraut, bay leaves, and juniper berries to the onions, season with salt, and stir once. Arrange the knuckles, ribs, and both bacons in the sauerkraut, partially burying them in the mixture. Top with the garlic, then add the wine. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours.
• About 30 minutes before serving, arrange the potatoes in a single layer over the meat. Cover and continue cooking until the potatoes and meat are tender.
• About 20 minutes before serving, place the knacks in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook until heated through, about 15 minutes. Do not let the water boil or the knacks will explode.
• Transfer the potatoes and meat from the Dutch oven to a large serving platter, let cool slightly, and slice the meat. Transfer the sauerkraut to the platter. Top with the knacks. Serve with mustard and horseradish sauce on the side.

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot with lid, saute the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Brown the bratwurst and the pork chops on all sides, then set them aside. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the sauerkraut and saute 5 minutes. Add the potato, caraway seeds, juniper berries and the brown sugar and stir to combine. Place the browned bratwurst and pork chops on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Add the chicken stock, Riesling and water. Place lid on top and bake for 45 minutes.