Choucroute Garnie — Alsatian Sauerkraut with Meats

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Choucroute garnie is the grandest expression of Alsatian cooking — a mountain of slowly braised sauerkraut perfumed with juniper, white wine, and goose fat, crowned with an extravagant assortment of smoked and cured meats: Strasbourg sausages, Montbéliard sausages, smoked pork loin (kassler), pork belly, ham hock, and frankfurters, each cooked to its own point of perfection before being arranged atop the kraut in an architectural display of pork abundance. The technique hinges on taming the sauerkraut's raw acidity while preserving its essential tang — a balance achieved through gentle braising with fat, wine, and aromatics. Rinse 1.5kg of raw sauerkraut under cold water, squeeze dry, and loosen the strands with your fingers. In a large casserole or daubiere, melt 60g of goose fat (or duck fat — lard as a last resort). Sweat 2 sliced onions until translucent. Add the sauerkraut, 300ml of dry Alsatian Riesling, 200ml of chicken stock, a bouquet garni of bay, thyme, and parsley, 10 juniper berries, 10 peppercorns, and 2 cloves of garlic. Bury a smoked pork hock (kassler) and a piece of smoked pork belly in the kraut. Cover tightly and braise at 150°C for 2-2.5 hours. During the last 30 minutes, add Montbéliard sausages (pricked). During the last 15 minutes, add Strasbourg sausages and frankfurters (which need only heating through). Meanwhile, boil potatoes in their skins until tender. To serve: mound the braised sauerkraut on a large, heated platter. Slice the pork hock and belly thickly. Arrange all the meats on top and around the kraut: sliced hock, belly, and sausages, with the boiled potatoes around the edge. Provide Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, and grated horseradish on the side. The kraut should be tender, golden from the goose fat, faintly tangy, and perfumed with juniper and wine. Each bite should include a thread of kraut, a piece of meat, a smear of mustard, and ideally a sip of cold Riesling. This is celebratory, communal Alsatian food at its most generous.

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