Three Cheese Ravioli with Shrimp in Butter Garlic Sauce

We usually don't eat bread with meals.  The main exception is when we do pasta.  I know, all the health nuts will freak out over the dual sources of those evil carbohydrates.  Then again, I doubt any of those types will be reading about my food.  All that said, we had a loaf of fresh bread left over after eating the Fettuccine last week.  It sat there in the fridge demanding to be used well.

I finally succumbed to the need to finish off the bread and decided on another pasta dish.  Then the question became, what pasta dish?  My good wife had asked for my next batch of ravioli be cheese ravioli so this was the chance.

Deciding on cheese ravioli was the easy part.  Then came other questions that needed answers.  What cheeses should I use?  What kind of sauce, if any, should I use?  What should accompany the ravioli?  See, one thing leads to another.  In the end, I used what I had on hand with the exception of Ricotta cheese.  The cheese mixture was Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.  The sauce was a butter garlic sauce.  Sauteed shrimp would be the accompaniment along with the bread.

Making ravioli is a time consuming process but it is well worth it.  The main reason is that you know what is in it and can tailor the stuffing mixture to suit your tastes.  I have the little ravioli form, there is a link in the Tools and Gadgets post, that helps make them more uniform but it is not a requirement for home made ravioli.  If you don't have a ravioli form, just lay out the bottom sheet of pasta dough, add small mounds of stuffing at least an inch apart, lay the top sheet of pasta dough down, and press into the individual ravioli.

Ready for the top layer of dough

Three Cheese Ravioli

Pasta dough
1 cup Ricotta cheese
3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 T minced Basil
1 tsp mince Thyme
salt
pepper

The pasta dough is my standard recipe.  Combine 2 cups flour, 3 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp olive oil.  Once they come together knead the dough until it is smooth.  Wrap in plastic and let sit for 20 minutes before working.  While the dough is resting, add the cheeses to a bowl and mix well.  Stir in the Basil and Thyme.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If using a pasta press, roll out the sheets to desired thickness, I go to 5.  Use a ravioli form or the countertop method to make your ravioli.  To cook the ravioli, put it in well salted boiling water.  When it floats it is done.

Using the ravioli form I have this recipe will make about 36 ravioli.  I had enough filling for another couple of ravioli so I just snacked on it while doing everything else.

Fresh ravioli ready to cook

Start the shrimp cooking then put the ravioli into the boiling water. When the ravioli is done either drain in a colander or use a slotted spoon to get them out of the water and into a bowl. Toss with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking.  Then finish according to the Shrimp in Butter Garlic Sauce recipe.

Shrimp in Butter Garlic Sauce

1 - 1.5 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 stick butter
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning

Leaving the tail on the shrimp is personal preference but I remove the tails prior to cooking.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning over the shrimp to suit your taste.  Melt all but 2 T of the butter in a skillet.  Add the shrimp and sautee until done.  Remove from the skillet leaving the melted butter.  Add the remaining butter and let it melt.  Add the white wine, stir, then burn off the alcohol.  Add the minced garlic and sautee for a minute or two, don't let it brown.  Add the ravioli to the skillet and toss to coat.  Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir to mix in with the ravioli.  Serve and enjoy.

A plate full of goodness

If you don't want to burn off the alcohol in the wine you can just let it evaporate naturally.  It will just take an extra minute or two.  I like to play with fire so I burn it off. 

This meal comes together quickly once the ravioli is made.  If you use ready made ravioli then this would be a super quick evening meal.  Whether you make your own ravioli or use fresh ravioli from the store I hope you'll give this recipe a try.  I think you'll like it.

Uncle T

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza Fettuccine

Yeah, I know, the title is a bit strange.  If you've read much of what I've written you've probably figured out that I do strange fairly well at times.  This is one of them.  On the upside, it is quite tasty.

Previously I detailed making pepperoni and slicing and packaging it.  When using a slicer there are always mis-cuts, trailing pieces, and ends to deal with.  These ends and pieces were diced and packaged for use when I thought of something to do with them.  I was initially thinking of just using them on a pizza but then a craving for some pasta came over me.  I had the diced pepperoni, mushrooms, and some left over marinara sauce in the refrigerator so the pizza fettuccine was born.

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza Fettuccine

6 oz diced pepperoni
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
marinara sauce
Fettuccine

Put the diced pepperoni in a skillet and fry until slightly crispy.  Remove from skillet.  Add a bit of olive oil to the pepperoni grease and cook the mushrooms to desired doneness.  Remove from skillet.  When the fettuccine is done, take it out of the water and put into the skillet.  Once all the fettuccine is in the skillet add the pepperoni and mushrooms.  Toss with tongs to mix.  Add the marinara sauce and mix.  Serve and enjoy.

As you see, there is no measurement for the marinara sauce.  That is so you use as much as you wish.  We like just a bit of sauce on our pizza and did this the same way so it would be another layer of flavor rather than being the main flavor.  This is not a terribly inventive recipe to my mind but I've not found anything quite like it doing a quick search online.  Everything I've come across uses half and half with cheese to make a creamy cheese sauce.  To me that defeats the purpose of letting each flavor shine. 

The boy is living with us for a bit until he closes on his new house and had one complaint about this dish.  His complaint was how was he supposed to go back to box pasta after eating fresh.  I offered to give him the pasta dough recipe I use.

Naturally, eating pasta meant I had to make some bread to go along with it.  I used the baguette recipe from Artisanbreadwithstev, found here, https://youtu.be/QBX9S5klgN8.  I wanted a larger loaf so I just divided the dough in half rather than into thirds.  The recipes from this guy that I've made have all turned out well and have been tasty.  Since it only takes about  2 1/2 hours from start to finish you should try it.  It'll be fresh, hot, and won't have the unpronounceable ingredients found in bread from the store.

A plate full of goodness

OK, this post is not as long or involved as some but brevity at times has a quality all its own.  The take away from this one is to do something different with your ingredients.  You don't always have to fix things in the usual manner.  Obviously I'm not concerned with pasta purists or traditionalists.  Have fun in the kitchen and make good food.  Give it a shot.

Uncle T

Pepperoni Production

One of the down falls of making your own cured meats and sausages is those made commercially pale in comparison.  One of the good things about making your own is that once you have the techniques and principles down you can experiment.  This can lead to some tasty developments.

Pepperoni made at home is definitely more flavorful than any you can get in the store with the exception of good dry cured fermented pepperoni from a specialty store.  Since I don't currently have a place to put a curing/fermentation chamber my pepperoni is cured and cooked.  I use as my base recipe the one found here, http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Pepperoni-cooked.pdf.  If you want to try your hand at any type of sausage, Len Poli has some excellent formulations on his site.  One of the good things about his formulations is that he lists ingredients by US measurements, metric measurements, and as a percentage.  Having the percentage is what lets you make as much or as little as you like in a batch.

I use the percentage and metric measurements for my sausage making.  A good scale is very helpful and almost a necessity using this method.  You can find my scale on my Tools and Gadgets post on 2 July 15.

The whole process started off with a 9 lb 2 oz boneless pork butt.  The butt was cut into chunks and strips of a size to fit in the tube of my grinder.  Once they were cut and in the freezer the calculator came out to figure out how much of each ingredient I'd need.  All the dry ingredients were weighed out and mixed in a bowl.  The wet ingredients stayed in their measuring cups.  The formulation calls for non-fat milk but I used the closest we had on hand which was 2% milk.  Use what you have on hand.

One thing to help with the grinding is to make sure your grinder is super cold and the meat is cold almost to the point of being at a hard chill.  Doing this will give you a cleaner grind of your meat and the temperature will stay low enough that bacteria growth will be inhibited.  I put my grinder head in the freezer before I even start cutting up the meat.

The meat gets ground into a meat chub that can hold up to 25 lbs of meat.  I then spread it evenly in the chub and then sprinkle on the dry ingredients then pour the wet ingredients over it.  Now the hardest part starts, the mixing.  The easiest way is to use your hands and mix and squeeze until everything is well mixed.  The mixture should be sticky.  Fry up a little sample to check the spice level.  A fancy name for this sample is quenelle.

Thoroughly mixed and ready to chill

Put the pepperoni mixture in the refrigerator while the casings are being prepared.  I get my casings from Butcher and Packer, http://www.butcher-packer.com/.  Take out a length of casing, about a foot per pound plus a bit extra and rinse off the salt that it is packed in.  Let the casing soak in warm water for 30 - 45 minutes.  Run water through the casing to ensure all the salt is gone.  The casing is now ready to thread onto the stuffing tube.

Starting to take shape

I have a 5 lb vertical stuffer that I got from Northern Tool.  I don't know if they still carry them or not.  Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas both carry them and they can also be ordered directly from Weston and LEM.  The casings can be stuffed fairly tight since you will only be making a few long links. 

Freshly linked and ready to hang

Once the casing is filled, twist into 12 - 18 inch links.  I separate them into pairs for easy hanging in the smoker.  Hang the pepperoni at room temperature with a fan blowing across them for about an hour to dry the casing.  After the pepperoni has hung for an hour, put it in the smoker and cook slowly at 180 - 190 degrees until an internal temperature of 150 F is reached.  They don't need any smoke except the minimal amount that comes from the charcoal.  The pepperoni can be done in the oven, just make sure they aren't touching.  Dip the pepperoni in boiling water for 20 seconds to shrink the casing.  Refrigerate for several hours before using.

After the cook and dip in boiling water

I run all the pepperoni through the slicer in one session and package it.  It gets packaged in 4 ounce batches as that will be enough to cover a pizza fairly well.  The ends and any bad slices get chopped and packaged for use as well.  This latest batch of ends and pieces got used in a pasta dish that turned out quite nicely.

Some sliced for pizza, look at that texture

A mass of sliced pepperoni ready to be packaged

I hope you try your hand at this pepperoni or some other sausage, you'll be amazed at the results.  For bulk type  sausages all you need is a grinder and hand cranked grinders can still be purchased rather inexpensively at thrift stores and antique shops.  I still have one myself.  So, get some meat and start experimenting with sausage.

Uncle T

Cabbage Rolls with Fresh Fettucine

This came about because I was looking for a good dish to test the delay and slow cooker function on the electric pressure cooker we got.  I will say that they worked great.

Many countries and cultures seem to have some form of cabbage rolls or stuffed cabbage in their cuisine.  Whether it is called a cabbage roll or stuffed cabbage seems to vary with no  rhyme or reason.  Whatever the reason, they are tasty, fairly simple to make, and offer a fine vehicle for experimentation.

Most cabbage roll recipes seem to be cabbage leaves stuffed with beef, rice, and onion and cooked in some form of tomato sauce.  I've also seen recipes using pork or a mixture of beef and pork.  Most German recipes I've seen are only pork and beef and the cabbage roll is cooked in a brown gravy.  Polish recipes have tended to be beef and pork with tomato sauce.  Hungarian recipes have had pork and veal with tomato sauce.  Italian recipes have been a mixture of sweet Italian sausage and beef with tomato sauce.  You get the picture, there is both variety and consistency.  I stuffed mine with my hot Italian sausage, rice, onion, sweet peppers, and mushrooms.

Ready to roll

 The hardest part of the process was peeling the cabbage leaves without tearing them.  Since I was just doing a few I didn't need to do the whole head of cabbage.  I did come across something last night where they prepped the whole head and bundled the leaves in batch size lots and froze them.  I'll have to give that a try.

Freshly stuffed and rolled cabbage leaf

I figured that since I was going to cover the cabbage rolls with my marina sauce it was only fitting to serve some fresh pasta with them.  My good wife said fettucine when offered the choices so that is what we had.  I think it was an excellent choice.

Cabbage Rolls

1 lb hot Italian sausage
3/4 cup rice, I used brown Minute rice
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
3 small sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
Cabbage leaves

Combine all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl.  Blanch the cabbage leaves to make them pliable.  Spoon a bit of the meat mixture onto the leaf near one end.  Fold that end over the meat, fold the two sides over that, and finish rolling.  Put the cabbage rolls in the slow cooker and cover with your favorite tomato sauce.  Cook for 4 hours.

Cabbage stuffed and waiting on the sauce

My marina sauce recipe is quick and easy.  Puree 2 large cans of tomatoes, add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your taste.  Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.  For us, I use about 3 Tbs of Italian seasoning, and 1 Tbs of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  I say about because I use my palm to measure but I am fairly accurate doing it that way.  The salt and pepper get started with two large pinches each and then smaller pinches to adjust after tasting.  After all, some canned tomatoes have more salt than others.

Sauced up and ready to cook

Pasta Dough

2 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp olive oil

Sift together the flour and salt.  Make a whole in  the middle and add the eggs and olive oil.  Start in the middle and work your way out to combine.  Turn the dough out on your cutting board and knead to smooth it out.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.  Divide the ball into 4 pieces and start rolling your pasta to desired thickness.  Cook in well salted water.

Rolling and cutting the pasta is the most time consuming portion of this meal.  The taste and texture of fresh pasta makes it well worth it though.  Even though "experts" say don't do it, I tossed the fettucine with olive oil after it was drained.  This adds a bit of flavor and keeps it from sticking while I was plating up supper.

Supper is ready

Give these cabbage rolls a try or come up with your own stuffing for them.  Have fun and enjoy.

Uncle T

Venison Rouladen with Spaetzle

The other day I was thinking about German food again and decided that was what I wanted to fix for supper.  I had settled on rouladen and spaetzle, then reality intruded in the form of our son.  The problem is that rouladen is made with beef and the boy has a severe reaction to beef.  Then I had, so I believed, a stroke of genius and thought of some venison roasts still in the freezer.  So an Uncle T variant of a German dish was born.

Using venison did require some adjustments in preparation though.  In German metzgerei (butcher shop) and in the Commissaries on Army bases you can find beef sliced thin for rouladen.  Typically it is from the top inside round so it is a large thin slice.  There is a significant difference in sizes of the same muscles between a deer and a steer.  That was solved by slicing my venison thick and beating it down to the thickness I wanted.  It still didn't make as large a slice as beef would have but it was workable.

Making the rouladen would also let me test a couple of functions on a new electric pressure cooker we got a few weeks back.  Look for a review of it in another week or so.  That initial test of the sear and slow cooker functions turned out well.

Venison Rouladen  -  Beef alternative

2 lbs venison steaks pounded 1/4 inch thick  -  2 lbs beef top round sliced 1/4 inch
8 slices thick cut bacon
8 dill pickle spears
1 onion cut in half slices
Mustard, German is best but use what you like
4 cups venison broth   -  4 cups beef broth
salt
pepper
flour or corn starch

Lay out meat slices and spread mustard on the surface facing up.  At one end, lay a slice of bacon then the dill pickle spear and sliced onion.  You want each to go to the end of the roll so you may need to add  more than one.  Tightly roll up the meat to secure everything inside.  You can use a couple of toothpicks or a couple of  pieces of butcher's twine to keep the rouladen from unrolling.  Repeat until all are made.  Sear the rouladen on each side.  Once they are seared, put them in a large pot or slow cooker and pour the broth over them.  Cook for 1.5 hours.  Remove the rouladen from the broth and stir in a mixture of either flour and water or cornstarch and water to thicken the broth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Put the rouladen back into the thickened broth and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Serve and enjoy.

OK, a bonus for any hunters out there on how to make your own venison bouillon cubes.  The process would work for beef as well.  Take all the bones from your processed deer and put them in a large stock pot.  I use my turkey frying pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Boil until any meat left on the bones is soft and flavorless and the cartilage is loose.  Remove the bones and continue boiling.  Once the water is reduced by half, let it cool over night.  Any fat will congeal on the top so you can remove it the next morning.  Strain the remaining liquid to remove any meat bits or pieces of cartilage.  Bring back to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Once it has reduced by about 1/4 get a spoon full and set it on the counter.  If it starts thickening up and getting sticky you're almost there.  Let simmer another 10 minutes then pour it into a 9 x 9 pan.  Set it on a rack to cool.  It should set up like jello from the collagen cooked out of the cartilage.  When it has cooled and is almost solid, cut it into cubes and spread them on a cooling rack to finish drying.  They will dry very hard and can then be stored in a jar until ready to use.  To make broth, bring 1 - 2 cups water to a boil and add a cube.  Stir it until it dissolves.

Spaetzle is a common side dish in southern Germany and Austria with variations showing up in several other countries to the east and south.  What makes the most sense to me is that they originated with a people group that lived in what is now these different countries.  Once borders became set and countries were formalized then regional differences started appearing.  That's just my theory to you can take it or leave it.

Spaetzle is not difficult to make but if you don't want to take the time you can generally find some dried spaetzle in the European section of ethnic foods aisle at the store.  If you are lucky enough to be in a city with a European foods store you'll likely find more choices.  Like pasta, fresh spaetzle is better than dried but either will do.  For supper this night I used some dried spaetzle we had in the cabinet.

Spaetzle

3 cups flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Sift the flour, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs and 1/4 cup water.  Stir, traditionalist will say it has to be a wooden spoon, adding enough water to make the dough slightly sticky while staying elastic and stiff.  Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling.  Put the dough in a collender and using a spatula press the dough through the holes and into the boiling water.  Work fast because once the spaetzle floats to the surface it is done.  Once the spaetzle is done, strain it well and put in a skillet with melted butter and toss to coat. 

Whether you keep it in the skillet long enough to start browning is personal preference.  I generally don't brown it unless it is going to be a side by itself.  If it will have a sauce poured over it I don't  brown it.  You do what you like.

Venison rouladen, spaetzle, and gravy

A couple of things about the rouladen I forgot.  The pickles I used were hot zucchini dill pickle canned by my good wife from zucchini from our garden.  I forgot about taking pictures of the rouladen building process until the last one was done.  Oh well, I'll remember next time.

I hope you give these a try and I believe you'll enjoy them.

Uncle T.

Fish Heads and Cucumber Muchim

Yeah, this is another of those outside the American norm type meals.  You were warned.

Having moved to the east coast means there is lots of fishing available, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay.  Some fish have fairly limited seasons and most require a good size boat.  Enter the charter boats.  We first went fishing with the Sally T thanks to a deal on Groupon.  The boat wasn't too crowded and we came home with a good mess of Spot and Croaker.  So when Striper season opened, we checked Groupon and there was a deal on Striper fishing with the Sally T.  With Striper you have a limit of 2 fish and only 1 over 32 inches long.  There were more people on the boat this time and lots of charter boats and private boats in the area.  Yes, Striper season is a big deal here.

We both caught nothing.  There were only 4 fish caught on the boat and one gal on the other side of the boat caught all of them.  Between her and her boyfriend they each had their limit.  One of the services on the Sally T is that a crew member will clean your fish and bag them for the trip home.  I was talking to the crewman while he was doing her fish.  He put the heads to the side but the scales and entrails went into a bucket.  I asked about the heads and he said he takes them to his mother, a Korean.  He then shrugged and said, "Asians".  After hearing that we use the heads and that we think they are way under utilized in the US he gave me two of them.

Striper heads ready for the grill

Most people seem to freak out about fish served whole because the the eyes.  They seem to think the fish is watching them and judging them.  I will admit I get a bit tickled every time I hear someone say their meal is watching/looking at them.  Eating fish heads will have the same issue.  My view point is if they want to lose out on all that succulent meat then more for me.

To prepare the fish heads, all you have to do is rinse them, dry them, and grill them.  No seasoning is needed.  The smoke from the grill will lightly permeate the meat enhance the flavor without being overwhelming.  It doesn't take very long if cooking with direct heat.

Cucumber Muchim (Oi Muchim) is a Korean spicy cucumber salad.  Oi is cucumber and Muchim means mixed in seasonings.  It is like cucumber kimchi without the fermentation.  It is a cool crunchy dish with a nice spicy flavor.

Cucumber Muchim from Grand Mart

Cucumber Muchim is quick and easy to make and can be adjusted to suit the level of spiciness that you prefer.  It can be eaten at room temperature or chilled.  We prefer it chilled.

Cucumber Muchim (Oi Muchim)

2 Cucumbers, pickling size or 1 English cucumber
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tbs gochugaro (Korean hot pepper flakes)
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
4 baby carrots, julienned (optional)

This can be made in a couple of ways.  First option, cut the cucumbers into bite size pieces.  These can be wedges, rounds, or half rounds.  Sprinkle the salt over them and lightly toss.  Let them sit for 15 - 20 minutes and pour off the liquid.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and add them to the cucumbers and toss.  Eat as is or chill before serving. 

The second way is even simpler.  Cut the cucumbers as in the first option.  Mix all the other ingredients together and taste.  Make adjustments as needed then add to the cucumbers and toss.  Eat as is or chill before serving.

The julienned carrots are not found in most of the recipes I've seen online.  The carrots were in the package I bought at Grand Mart.  I don't recall if it had the carrots when I was in Korea or not.  There is a fairly even divide between the two options online which is why I did both.  I tend to use the first option.  I find any left over will have better flavor the next day since it won't be diluted by the water that sweated out of the cucumbers.  If you will have enough people that it will all be eaten then the second option will be fine and will come together quicker.

Grilled fish head, cucumber muchim, grilled asparagus

So, what do you think?  Are you ready to try a grilled fish head?  I must say, there is a surprising amount of meat on a fish head.  The tastiest is the cheek meat.  You really should try a fish head or eat the head on your served whole fish.  The cucumber muchim works well with grilled fish head or any other meat, as a simple snack, or simply as a side with rice.  Give them a try.

Uncle T

Kassler and Kraut

As you may remember, Uncle T does his own meat curing and sausage making.  I'm always on the look out for some new variety to try.  Enter the Kassler, also spelled Kasseler, it is a salted and slightly smoked cut of pork.  Kassler is most often made with neck or loin, any cut can be used.  Oh yeah, in case you didn't guess from the spelling, it is a German cured meat.

We learned to appreciate German food during the 4 years we were stationed in Germany, in particular the Bavarian style of German food.  Yes, there is more to German food than bratwurst,schnitzel, and spätzle. 

As a side note, my great great grandparents came from Germany as teens.   I saw several old women while traveling in Bavaria that were the spitting image of my great grandmother.  Maybe that had some bearing on my liking of German food, in that it influenced some of the food I grew up on.

Kassler is frequently served with sour kraut and mashed potatoes in Germany and that is what I ended up doing though when the meal was planned I didn't know that.  The main difference is that most places I've seen have cooked the sour kraut and we ate it fresh from the jar.  In true Uncle T fashion, the sour kraut was fermented with cabbage from our garden.  I'll include instructions on that as well since the taste beats commercially produced kraut.

Kassler

Boneless Pork Loin 4 -5 lbs
4 liters(1 gal) water
350 g(12 oz) kosher salt
225 g(8 oz) sugar
42 g(1.5 oz) pink salt(cure #1, Prague Powder)
1 Tbs Juniper berries
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp coriander
1tsp caraway seed
1 tsp fennel seed
fresh or dried sage
4 - 6 garlic cloves

To prepare the brine, combine all the ingredients, except the pork, in a large pot and heat to a simmer and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.  Refrigerate until cool.

Make sure the pork loin has only 1/4 inch of fat or less covering it.  Put the pork loin in the brine. Use a weight to keep it submerged if necessary.  Refrigerate for 48 hours.  Take the pork loin out of the brine and rinse in cold water then dry.  Place it on a rack in the refrigerator to dry for at least an hour and no more than a day.  Smoke the dry pork loin until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees.  It can be eaten warm or cold.

Fresh from the smoker, yes this one had a bit heavier smoke than usual

Interior view.

Traditionally, Beech or Alder wood is used to smoke Kassler but since I have neither of those trees available, I used Crepe Myrtle wood.  Crepe Myrtle produces a light smoke with a slightly floral note.  The light smoke is the key.  This is not the place to use Hickory or some other stronger smoke.  Apple and Pecan wood would probably do well with this also.

Sour Kraut, when you come down to it, is simply fermented cabbage.  This version has the benefit of juniper berries and caraway seed to add more layers of flavor.  Just as with Kimchi, fermentation acts as a method of preservation, a flavor enhancer, and as we now know a health booster.  Kraut can be eaten cold as a side dish, used as a garnish on grilled sausages, or used to create an entree.  Our favorite way to eat sour kraut is as a side and sometimes on grilled sausages.  Both of these uses keep the best flavor and most of the beneficial microbes.  The up side is that patience is the hardest part about making this lovely product.

Sour Kraut
8-10 cups shredded cabbage, loosely packed (about 2 lbs), about 1 cabbage
10 juniper berries
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
1-2 tsp. un-iodized or pickling salt
1 c. filtered water mixed with 1 tsp. salt

Combine the cabbage, juniper berries, caraway seeds, mustard seeds, and salt in a non-reactive bowl.  Mix thoroughly and let rest for  10 - 15 minutes.  Mix again and let rest for 1 - 2 hours.  These steps will start the cabbage releasing juices.

Pack the cabbage into a sterilized wide mouth quart jar.  Pack it down with a wooden mallet.  Top off the jar with the filtered salty water(1 cup filtered water with 1 - 2 tsp salt) to the rim of the jar.  Cap loosely with a sterilized canning lid.  Put the jar in a tray/pan to catch overflow juices.  Keep it between 65 and 72 F for 2 - 3 weeks.  After 3 weeks, after the bubbling stops, top it off with salty water (1 tsp salt/1 cup water) if the level is below the rim.  Any white spots or film on top can be skimmed off and discarded.  Close the jar tightly and refrigerate until you eat it all.

A quart and a pint of Bavarian style kraut and almost a quart of plain kraut

Our summer time house temperature runs about 74 and winter time is 72 and batches made with both fall and spring plantings of cabbage have turned out quite well.  So, don't stress over your house temperature with this.

Freshly chilled kraut, pan seared kassler, and chunky garlic mashed potatoes

This is good German comfort food.  Probably more so than jaeger schnitzel mit spätzle .  Since you do the curing and fermenting yourself the flavors are much better than store bought and they are better for you.  I will say that this kraut is good on both grilled bratwurst and deep fried bacon wrapped beef hot dogs as well as a stand alone side dish.  Give it a try.  I think you'll like it.

Uncle T