- Author: Lauria Watts
I know, some of you out there are wondering what to do with fresh, home-made sauerkraut. First thing I recommend is to taste it and if you like it, eat it. Try some on a little pile of fresh rice to check out your sauerkraut's flavor.
If you don't like it, keep trying and maybe it will grow on you?
If you DO like it, well, that opens up a lot of other options. You could try a classic sandwich, The Reuben--delicious! A likely looking suspect (of a recipe) is here: Reuben Sandwich at Simply Recipes .
How about a soup--the weather is kinda cool enough for soup right now! Simple sauerkraut soup at Czech Vegan
How about a drink before dinner? Sauerkraut Martini at The Kitchn
Dip for chips with that drink-- Sauerkraut Corned Beef Dip at The Food Network
A side dish perhaps? Very simple creamy sauerkraut with chives
Main dish! Sauerkraut & Sausage Casserole on Eating Well
And lastly, but not leastly, DESSERT! Sauerkraut Pie with Palatable Pastime
Did any of the above whet your appetite for sauerkraut?
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Hot links, bratwurst, chicken and jalapeno, take your pick.
You can easily make top quality sausage for $4-5/pound. I haven't seen any commercial sausage that matches the quality you and I can make at home. Lower in fat than the industrial offerings and no mystery bits.
If you don't have access to a grinder, the butcher at the grocery store can grind it for you. Just don't buy the pre-ground meat in the case. Too high in unnecessary fat and often made with meat nearing the end of its shelf life.
Buy pork boston-butt, shoulder, or cushion meat.
Any cheap cut of beef. Chuck is a good cut, full of flavor, and with some necessary fat.
Don' waste your money on sirloin for this project.
If you want to make chicken sausage, thighs are the only cut that is good for sausage.
Breast meat is devoid of fat and makes for very dry sausage. You will need some added fat, which can be olive oil.
Look for a copy of Great Sausage Recipes by Rytek Kutas. I recommend finding a used copy of the 3rd edition. The latest edition has some unnecessary revisions to his original recipes which was printed after his death.
He was an old world butcher that came to America and started a sausage making supply business, The Sausage Maker.
This book is his legacy. The only fault I find is that he used more salt than I care to.
Start with 2 level Tablespoons of table salt per 5 lbs. This seems to be good place to start. After you mix it, fry a small patty for a taste test. You can always add more salt, you cannot take it out.
Make a small 5 lb. batch to get the feel of the process before committing to a 20 lb. Or larger batch.
If you want to freeze some of it for later use, remember to freeze it in the quantities you will use at one time. This saves trying to wrestle a small quantity out of the frozen mass.
Good luck.
Darrell Fluman
I agree with you about the cost of sausage making--but follow sales, get your meat cheap (I believe Von's/Albertson's has pork butt roast this week for $.99 a pound). Remember too, that you can make sausage and NOT put in in a casing.. Leave it bulk and make it into patties.
Actually, the recipes in this post: I wuz lookin for some more unusual, easier recipes! :-)