Apple Bacon Sauerkraut Recipes

APPLE-BACON SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 Tbsp. drippings from skillet.
• Add onions to reserved drippings; cook on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until softened, stirring frequently. Add apples and garlic; cook and stir 3 min.
• Add sauerkraut, mustard, caraway seed and paprika; mix lightly. Cook 2 min., stirring frequently. Stir in apple juice; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Crumble bacon; sprinkle over sauerkraut mixture.

SAUSAGE AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the sauerkraut, caraway seeds, brown sugar, and apple into a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place the bacon and onion into a skillet over medium heat, and cook until the bacon is almost crisp and the onion is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir the bacon mixture into the sauerkraut. In the same skillet, brown the kielbasa sausage in the remaining bacon grease until the sausage begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes; stir into the sauerkraut mixture. Spoon the sauerkraut and sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 1 hour.

SAUERKRAUT WITH APPLES

Steps:

• Cook onion in butter in a 4-to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, apples, and wine and bring to a simmer.
• Cover pot and reduce heat, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauerkraut is very tender, about 2 hours.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add more brown sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
• What to drink:
• Josmeyer Les Folastries Gewürztraminer '05

SAUERKRAUT AND APPLES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until fat has started to render, about 5 minutes.
• Toss onion and apples in the fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut.
• Add beer and season with pepper and caraway seeds. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover the pot. Reduce heat so mixture is just simmering and cook for 45 minutes. Or transfer the covered pot to a 350-degree oven and bake for 1 hour. Stir and serve hot.

WARM SAUERKRAUT WITH BACON AND APPLES (KRAUTSAFAT MIT SPECK UND

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, juniper berries, bay leaves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, apple, bacon, brown sugar, and broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low and continue to simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 20 minutes. Remove the bacon and bay leaves, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

RIESLING-BRAISED SAUERKRAUT AND APPLES

Steps:

• Cover sauerkraut with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak 5 minutes, then drain in a colander. Repeat soaking and draining once more, pressing on sauerkraut.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Peel and core apples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Cook shallot and onion in butter in a 4- to 5-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add apples, bacon, wine, broth, thyme, juniper berries, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, then stir in sauerkraut. Cover pot with foil, then lid, and braise in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, simmer cream and schnapps in a 2-quart saucepan until reduced to about 1 cup, about 40 minutes.
• Add cream mixture, salt, and pepper to sauerkraut and stir well.
• Available at many supermarkets and Penzeys Spices (800-741-7787).

ROASTED SAUERKRAUT AND BACON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Place peppercorns in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Toast until they are crisp and give off a nutty aroma. Transfer to a mortar and grind to a coarse powder, gradually adding and pounding in juniper berries, rosemary, savory, thyme and fennel seeds.
• Rub bacon well with mixture, shaking off excess. Place bacon in a small ovenproof dish. Add cider and enough water to come halfway up sides of bacon. Cover lightly with foil and bake 3 hours, turning bacon halfway during cooking. Check occasionally and add boiling water as necessary to maintain level of liquid in dish. Remove dish from oven and cool until warm; bacon should be very tender but intact. Place a heavy plate on bacon to weight it as it cools. Place dish in refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain sauerkraut and place in a ceramic baking dish. Break bacon slab into large irregular pieces or cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, and scatter over kraut. Remove 2 tablespoons of solidified fat from bacon dish, and reserve. Stir remaining jelled liquid and fat in dish, adding enough water so there is about 1/2 cup in dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup over bacon and kraut, cover, and bake for 30 minutes.
• While bacon and kraut bake, prepare potatoes: If potatoes have smooth skins, they need not be peeled. Cut in two lengthwise. Melt reserved fat in a medium skillet, and add potatoes cut-side down. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat until browned on bottoms, about 5 minutes. Turn and continue to cook for a few minutes, then add remaining braising liquid and remove from heat.
• When kraut has cooked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and push kraut to one side of dish. Add potatoes and their liquid to other side, and return to oven until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve

BRATWURST COOKED IN BEER, WITH APPLE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• With a sharp knife or kitchen fork, prick each sausage several times.
• In a saucepan, combine the red onions and beer and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Add the sausages and poach until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the sausages from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.
• In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add the yellow onions to the fat in the pan and cook, stirring, until very soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
• Add the apples and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the caraway seeds, mustard, vinegar and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
• Add the sauerkraut and reserved beer cooking liquid (without the onions), sugar, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until tender and aromatic, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the grill.
• Grill the sausages until cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning to cook evenly on all sides.
• Remove and place on a platter.
• Remove the sauerkraut from the heat and stir in the cooked bacon and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
• Arrange the sauerkraut on the platter with the sausages and serve, if desired, with rolls and mustard or Rye Bread. Serve with cold beer.