Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sausage and Sauerkraut

4 slices bacon -- chopped fine
1 pound sausage -- crumbled, sliced or whatever
1 onion -- chopped
garlic!! (as much as you like, minced or mashed)
3 medium carrots -- julienne
4 - 8 oz roasted peeled red chiles -- chopped  (may sub red bell pepper, add near end of cooking if using bells)
6 oz wine (I use red)
2 TBSP mustard powder
3 TBSP red chile powder (your choice of heat level and amt.)
turmeric (I use about a tsp or a little less)
whole mustard seed (optional)  -- use as much/little as you like. Add it just after the wine & spice mixture.
1 pkg sauerkraut (32 oz) -- drained (We prefer Hebrew National but that is tough to find in Socorro, NM)
1 - 2 cups shredded cabbage (I use a mix of red and green.)

Brown the bacon and pour off most of the fat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and brown that. We like it fairly brown.

Mix the powdered spices into the wine and let it sit a few minutes. While that is waiting cook the carrots and red chiles a little.  De-glaze the pan with the wine and spices and add the sauerkraut. When everything is nearly done add the fresh cabbage; add the bell pepper now if you are using it instead of (or in addition to) red chiles.

Serve with your favorite not-spaghetti pasta. It tastes fine with spaghetti but it just does not work well. Rainbow rotini, radiatore, penne, bow ties all work quite well.

I want to try making my own pasta to go with this. Perhaps a spaetzle made with part rye flour and caraway seeds would be good.