Traditional sauerkraut

Ingredients

• 750 g of sauerkraut
• 500 g of ground apples
• 300 g of pig’s back (or pork spine)
• 300 g of smoked salmon
• 4 pairs of Strasbourg sausages (knacks)
• 4 Montbéliard sausages (police sausages)
• 300 g of smoked and/or salted bacon
• about a dozen juniper berries
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• pig fat
• dry white wine
• salt, pepper

Thoroughly wash the sauerkraut under several waters to remove excess salt. It is recommended to blanch it by immersing it in boiling water for a few minutes after the initial wash, then rinse and drain.

Melt the chopped onion in the bacon fat. You can also add an onion to the sauerkraut along with cloves of garlic.

In a large pot, layer sauerkraut, add the garlic and onion, then the meats, except for the Montbéliard sausages. Add another layer of sauerkraut. Pour generously with a mixture of dry white wine and water.

Season to taste. The proportions of the mixture are a matter of personal preference, but you can use half water and half wine. Alternatively, you can use a mixture of blonde beer and water, following the same principle.

Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes over low to medium heat, until the mixture comes to a boil. Use a pressure cooker to reduce the cooking time to 3/4 of an hour from the time the cooker is sealed. The sauerkraut can be reheated for later consumption, at which point it will develop more pronounced flavors.

Steam the apples and Montbéliard sausages for 10 minutes.