Braised Sauerkraut

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, bacon fat, or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion or 4 shallots, sliced
• Hide ingredients for 4 cups (2 pounds) drained sauerkraut, store-bought or homemade 1 4 cups (2 pounds) drained sauerkraut, store-bought or homemade (opens in new tab) 4 cups (2 pounds) drained sauerkraut, store-bought or homemade
  • 5 pounds firm, unblemished green or red cabbage heads, outer leaves removed
  • 2 tablespoons pickling salt or fine sea salt, or 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt (35g)
  • 4 cups distilled or charcoal-filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt or fine sea salt, or 3 tablespoons Diamond kosher salt (25g)

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Quarter: 5 pounds firm, unblemished green or red cabbage heads, outer leaves removed
  2. Cut out the cores and thinly shred the cabbage. Dice or julienne the cores and add them to the shredded cabbage as well. Place the cabbage in a large bowl with: 2 tablespoons pickling salt or fine sea salt, or 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt (35g)
  3. Massage the cabbage with your hands to release its water. Continue until there is enough water in the bowl to cover the cabbage once it is packed into a crock or jar. This may take as little as 15 or as long as 30 minutes.
  4. Pack the kraut into a small ceramic crock or a half-gallon mason jar. Press down firmly to submerge the cabbage beneath the brine. If the cabbage has not released enough liquid to stay submerged, make a brine of: 4 cups distilled or charcoal-filtered water; 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt or fine sea salt, or 3 tablespoons Diamond kosher salt (25g)
  5. Pour this brine over the cabbage to cover it. Weight the cabbage to keep it submerged beneath the brine. You can use a freezer-safe zip-top bag (freezer-safe bags are more durable) filled partially with brine of the same strength as you used for the cabbage, above. The bag will conform to the shape of the container you use and is easy to manipulate. Or use specially made fermentation weights or a whole cabbage leaf. Cover the crock or vessel to keep out flies, but make sure it can breathe. You may use a square of kitchen towel secured with a rubber band or string, or use specially made fermentation airlocks. If using a crock with a water moat and lid, simply place the lid on top and fill the moat with water.
  6. Check the kraut every couple days. Within a few days, it should start to bubble—this is an indicator that fermentation has begun. Stir or compress the kraut regularly (the carbon dioxide generated during fermentation often pushes the kraut above the brine if it is not heavily weighted). If scum forms on top, simply scrape it off and discard, then press the kraut beneath the brine again. When the bubbling slows, start to taste the kraut (you can taste it before this point, of course, but this is when the kraut becomes noticeably more sour). When you really like how it tastes, it’s done. To store, see here.
• 1 medium potato or cored tart apple, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• Vegetable stock or broth or water
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• (1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste)