Pork Loin Braised with Cabbage

RECIPE

Pork is typically served with cabbage at the German table. Use red cabbage, if you like, for slightly sweeter flavor. You can prepare the dish a day ahead, and chill overnight. Cut the roast into 1/4-inch slices. Gently reheat the meat in cabbage mixture in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 3/4 cup cabbage mixture)

Ingredients
4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
Cooking spray
3/4 cup diced Canadian bacon (about 4 ounces)
14 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 2 pounds)
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrot (about 1)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark lager

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and sage; rub over pork. Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan.

Add bacon to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add cabbage, onion, and carrot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilt, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste, remaining 2 teaspoons paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, caraway seeds, and lager. Return pork to pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours or until tender. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Nutritional Information
Calories:255 (32% from fat)
Fat:9g (sat 3.3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g)
Protein:28.7g
Carbohydrate:11.9g
Fiber:3.7g
Cholesterol:76mg
Iron:1.7mg
Sodium:596mg
Calcium:84mg

German cooking@home
by cooking mania

Lentils with Smoked Sausage and Carrots

A good-quality, at least slightly hot mustard from France, Germany, or England is the perfect accompaniment for this. Put a dollop on your plate and dip each forkful into it.

Yield
4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pound lentils (about 2 1/3 cups)
1 quart water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound smoked sausage, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the lentils, water, salt, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

3. Stir in the smoked sausage and parsley. Cook until the lentils are just tender but not falling apart and the sausage is warm, about 10 minutes longer.

Cooking Lentils: Because salt retards the cooking of legumes, the general wisdom is not to add it until they're almost done. Lentils, however, tend to overcook and fall apart all too quickly, so we put the salt in at the outset.

Wine Recommendation: Tokay Pinot Gris is one of the few white wines big enough to partner dishes that might ordinarily call for a red. Here its full body is more than a match for the sausage, while its nutty notes intriguingly echo the lentils.

German cooking@home
by cooking mania

Braised Chicken Thighs with Sauerkraut

RECIPE

Sauerkraut simmered with vegetables, apple, and juniper berries is a perfect match for bacon and chicken thighs. The robust combination of flavors makes this a great hearty winter dish.

Yield
4

Ingredients
3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
8 chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds in all)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 cups drained and rinsed sauerkraut (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 bay leaf

Preparation
1. In a large deep frying pan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

2. Season the chicken thighs with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and add to the pan in batches if necessary. Cook, turning, until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

3. Add the onion, carrot, and apple to the pan. Cook over moderate heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the sauerkraut, bacon, broth, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the mustard, juniper berries, and bay leaf. Arrange the chicken in an even layer on top. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and cook, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 25 minutes.

4. Remove the chicken from the pan and discard the bay leaf. If too much liquid remains in the pan, raise the heat to moderately high and cook until slightly thickened. Serve the sauerkraut topped with the chicken.

Wine Recommendation: For a white wine that will contrast nicely with the sauerkraut, look for a soft, full-flavored, and unoaked white. Gewürztraminer or pinot gris from Alsace in France are ideal choices.

German cooking@home
by cooking mania