Geselchtes mit Sauerkraut und Semmelknödel

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for simmering the pork (6-liter minimum)
• •Heavy-bottomed pot with lid for braising sauerkraut
• •Large wide pot for cooking Knödel
• •Box grater for the potato

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the Geselchtes

   Place the smoked pork in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Add the bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns, and caraway seeds. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. The moment you see the first real bubbles, turn the heat down. You want the surface barely trembling, the same lazy simmer you'd use for a good broth. Smoked pork that boils goes dry and stringy. Smoked pork that simmers stays tender and juicy. Let it cook for about one and a half to two hours, depending on the thickness of the piece.

   If your Geselchtes is very salty (taste a small piece raw, you'll know), soak it in cold water for two to three hours before cooking. Some traditional farm-cured pieces need this. Commercially smoked pork usually doesn't.
2. 2

   Braise the sauerkraut

   While the pork simmers, start the sauerkraut. Melt the lard or goose fat in a heavy pot over medium heat. Lard is traditional and I won't apologize for it. Fry the diced onion until it turns soft and golden, about five minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and toss it through the fat and onions. Add the caraway seeds, crushed juniper berries, and sugar. The sugar is not there to make it sweet. It rounds out the sharp edges of the fermentation and balances the whole pot.

   Good sauerkraut makes this dish. Look for the kind sold in bags or jars in the refrigerated section, not canned. It should smell clean and sharp, not like vinegar. If you can find a German or Austrian deli that sells it fresh from a barrel, even better.
3. 3

   Simmer the sauerkraut low and slow

   Pour the stock over the sauerkraut and stir in the grated potato. The potato dissolves as it cooks and gives the sauerkraut a silky body without adding flour or cream. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it braise gently for about forty-five minutes to an hour. Check it once or twice and add a splash of the pork cooking liquid if it looks dry. When it's done, the sauerkraut should be soft and golden, with a gentle tang that makes your mouth water.

4. 4

   Prepare the Semmelknödel dough

   Cut the stale Semmeln into small cubes, about one centimeter. Put them in a large bowl and pour the warm milk over them. Toss gently so every piece gets some milk. Let them sit for fifteen minutes. The bread should be soft but not sodden. If you squeeze a handful and water runs out, you've added too much milk. Stale bread is essential here. Fresh bread turns to paste. If your Semmeln aren't stale, cut them the night before and leave them uncovered on the counter.

   Semmeln are Austrian bread rolls with a fine, tight crumb. If you can't find them, use day-old white bread rolls or a good pain de mie. Avoid anything too soft or too crusty. The bread needs to hold its shape while absorbing the milk.
5. 5

   Finish the Knödel mixture

   Melt the butter in a small pan and fry the diced onion until soft and translucent. Don't let it brown. Add the softened onion, beaten eggs, chopped parsley, a grating of nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt and white pepper to the soaked bread. Mix everything together with your hands. Be thorough but don't knead it into oblivion. You want a mixture that holds together when you squeeze it but still has visible pieces of bread. If it feels too loose, add a tablespoon of plain flour. If it feels too dry, a splash more milk.

6. 6

   Shape and cook the Knödel

   Wet your hands with cold water or rub them lightly with butter. Shape the mixture into balls about the size of a tennis ball. You should get six to eight Knödel. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Slide the Knödel in carefully. They'll sink to the bottom and then float up after a few minutes. Once they float, let them cook for another fifteen to eighteen minutes at a gentle simmer. Never let the water boil hard or the Knödel will fall apart. Test one by pulling it out and cutting it in half. The center should be cooked through and fluffy, not dense or doughy.

   Shape one test Knödel first and cook it. If it falls apart in the water, the mixture needs a little more egg or flour to bind. Better to lose one Knödel than the whole batch.
7. 7

   Slice and serve

   Lift the Geselchtes from its cooking liquid and let it rest for five minutes on a cutting board. Slice it against the grain into pieces about half a centimeter thick. The meat should be rosy pink, moist, and fragrant with smoke. Arrange the sliced pork on warm plates alongside a generous mound of braised sauerkraut and two Semmelknödel per person. Ladle a spoonful of the pork cooking liquid over the meat if you like. Some people add a dab of sharp mustard on the side. I'm one of them. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your Geselchtes determines the dish. Look for naturally smoked pork from a good butcher, not the mass-produced stuff injected with liquid smoke. In Austria, every Metzger has their own Geselchtes and they're proud of it. If you have access to a European deli or specialty butcher, ask for it by name.
• •Caraway is the spice that runs through Austrian savory cooking the way vanilla runs through Mehlspeisen. Use whole seeds, not ground. Whole caraway released into the sauerkraut slowly gives you warmth. Ground caraway hits you in the face and then disappears.
• •Semmelknödel are the great sponges of Austrian cuisine. They exist to absorb everything good on the plate. Don't make them too tight or too smooth. The slightly irregular texture, with visible bread pieces and little pockets, is what lets them soak up the sauerkraut juices and pork broth. Gretel always said a Knödel should be light enough to want to float but sturdy enough not to fall apart. That's the balance you're looking for.
• •Don't throw out the pork cooking liquid. It's a beautiful, smoky broth. Strain it and use it to cook lentils or cabbage later in the week. It freezes well for a month.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauerkraut can be braised two days ahead and refrigerated. It actually improves overnight as the flavors settle and deepen. Reheat gently with a splash of stock.
• •The Semmelknödel mixture can be prepared and shaped up to four hours ahead. Keep the formed Knödel on a lightly floured tray in the fridge, covered with a damp tea towel.
• •The Geselchtes can be simmered ahead and reheated gently in its cooking liquid. Slice it just before serving so it stays moist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 550g)