German Sauerkraut & Bratwurst & Bacon Onion Potatoes

• doses: 6 servings
• tempo ativo: 20 minutes
• tempo total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredientes

GERMAN SAUERKRAUT

3 tablespoon(s) butter

1 medium Granny Smith apple

1 small onion, slivered

2 cup(s) cold-pack sauerkraut (good quality, not canned)

1/4 cup(s) light brown sugar

1/2 cup(s) light brown beer

1/8 teaspoon(s) black pepper

1/2 teaspoon(s) caraway seed, optional

BRATWURST

6 - good quality bratwurst

1 1/2 cup(s) water

2 tablespoon(s) butter

BACON ONION POTATOES

3 slice(s) bacon or 2 Tbsp of real bacon bits

1/4 cup(s) onions, diced or slivered

1/2 cup(s) balsamic vinaigrette dressing

4 small red potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

3 tablespoon(s) brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon(s) seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon(s) black pepper

Instruções

Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large skillet. Over medium heat, brown the apples and onions in the melted butter until they are nicely caramelized and tender. Stir constantly.

Put WELL-RINSED AND DRAINED sauerkraut in the pan with the apples and onions. Sprinkle the brown sugar over all and toss well in the browned butter that's in the pan.

Turn to LOW, add the beer, black pepper, and caraway seed. Cover. Cook the mixture, over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's caramelized and a nice, golden brown color. I have actually let mine cook for as much as a couple of hours on VERY LOW heat. Stir occasionally to bring the browned stuff up from the bottom and give the rest of it a chance to brown. Don't let it burn, but a very slight scorch is a good thing.

When it's browned to your satisfaction, slide it off the heat and let it sit.

Bacon Onion Potatoes: Preheat a large saute pan on medium, 2 - 3 minutes. Cook the bacon until crispy and chop it into small pieces.

Pour off most of the bacon grease, but do not wipe out the pan. Place bacon pieces, onions, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing in the pan. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized.

Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer on LOW until potatoes are cooked through approximately 25 minutes.

Keep covered so they won't cook dry. You can add a splash of beer if necessary, if desired, to keep potatoes moist and to "steam" cook them. Stir occasionally, gently, to keep from breaking potatoes apart.

About 1/2 hour before you want to eat, prepare the bratwurst. In a large skillet, place the bratwurst, water, and 2 Tbsp of butter. Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the water evaporates and the bratwurst begins to brown.

The water will cook the brats through, and then all boil out, but the butter will cling to the brat skins and brown them nicely. Turn, as needed, to keep them from burning on one side.

IF YOU DESIRE: After the brats are nicely browned, you can put them IN with the kraut and smother them together for a while to let flavors blend OR serve separately.

Serve with dark brown bread and butter, some applesauce, and dark brown mustard. A real authentic German meal, as prepared in the Hessen style.

Notas

We found this recipe to eat with our German neighbor, Stefanie.