Choucroute Garnie a la Juive

 

Choucroute Garnie a la Juive (Sauerkraut and Kosher Charcuterie)

A classic dish from Alsace, France, that combines real fermented sauerkraut with kosher preserved meats. In this case, prepared as an overnight Shabbat stew, for Saturday lunch.
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Origin French
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs sauerkraut (made using salt, not vinegar)
  • 2 lbs corned beef brisket whole
  • 8-10 medium potatoes
  • 2 tbsp schmaltz (chicken, duck or goose), or vegetable oil
  • 2 goose legs split into thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 2½ cups dry white wine (e.g. Riesling from Alsace)
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 beef sausage (e.g. salami, rosette)
  • ½ lb smoked beef or pastrami cut into chunks

For Spice Sachet:

  • 6 cloves garlic smashed
  • 20 juniper berries smashed
  • 12 peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves

Instructions
 

  • Rinse sauerkraut thoroughly in a colander under cold water to remove excess salt. Drain. Rinse again under warm water and drain. Squeeze handfuls of the sauerkraut to remove as much water as possible and place in a large mixing bowl. When all of the sauerkraut has been squeezed fairly dry, pull the cabbage apart, loosening the clumps into separate strands.
  • Place the corned beef into a large pot of water and bring to a boil. You may continue with other steps while this takes place, and just keep an eye on the meat. After boiling for a few minutes, spill out the water and bring to a boil in a fresh pot of water. Drain again and set meat aside to cool.
  • Boil potatoes in well-salted water until they start to get soft. Drain and allow to cool, then peel off their skin. This, too, may be done alongside the following steps.
  • Preheat oven to 325° F.
  • Melt schmaltz in a large Dutch oven. Place the goose legs in, rendering some of their fat and browning on all sides. Remove legs to a plate.
  • Put onion and carrots into the pot, sauteeing in the rendered fat. Continue until soft, but not brown, approximately 5-8 minutes.
  • Add the sauerkraut and mix with the onions and carrots, continuing to sautee in the fat, about 3 more minutes.
  • Create a spice sachet:
    Place spices (garlic, juniper berries, peppercorns and bay leaves) into a small piece of cheesecloth. Tie closed into a loose sachet. Place spice sachet into the sauerkraut mixture.
  • Add the wine and chicken stock to the pot. Let simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
  • Bury the goose legs, sausage (cut in half if necessary to fit in pot), smoked beef and corned beef inside of the sauerkraut mixture. Place potatoes around the edges, also partially submerged in the sauerkraut.
  • Place in oven for about an hour.
  • Leave covered pot overnight on an electric hotplate, or in a 250° F oven.
  • Before serving, remove and slice the corned beef and the sausage. Place sauerkraut with vegetables and smoked beef chunks in the middle of a large serving platter. Arrange the goose legs, corned beef slices, and sausage slices around it.
  • Serve accompanied by mustard.
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Ilana’s Cholent

 

Ilana’s cholent

Ilana Hernandez
This is a mishmash of various cholents I’ve had over the years, tweaked to my personal preferences. It can easily be made vegetarian simply by omitting the meat, and vegan by omitting the eggs.
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Origin Hungarian and Polish influence, no specific community
Servings 8 ish

Ingredients
  

  • 2 kg stew beef chopped
  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 2 cups pot barley
  • 2 cups dried navy beans cannelini beans, or black beans (or a mixture)
  • 1 kg chopped potatoes any kind except sweet potatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves smashed
  • 3 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp hot or smoked paprika or half a tbsp of each
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp or more coarsely-ground black pepper more is better
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 6 eggs in the shell
  • Water beef stock, or vegetable stock

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • If using beef, brown the beef on all sides. Do this in batches if necessary.
  • Remove the beef to a plate.
  • Sautee the onions until soft, about five minutes.
  • Add the beef, onions, and all other ingredients except eggs to a large dutch oven. Mix to combine.
  • Add enough water (or stock if using) to cover the dry ingredients, plus an additional two inches.
  • Gently place the eggs into the water on top of the dry ingredients, which will have settled to the bottom.
  • Cover on the dutch oven with its lid, and place in the heated oven. After half an hour, reduce heat to 200F. Cook overnight.

Notes

  • The beef, eggs, and sugar are all optional.
  • Do not use kidney beans for safety reasons.
  • You can peel the potatoes before adding them if you want, but I don’t bother.
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Meudah (Sofrito)

Meudah (Sofrito)

Yaakov C.
This recipe has been passed down for generations in my family from mother to daughter. No holiday or celebration lacks a giant pot of meudah with enough to satisfy everyone. No one in the family doesn't like this dish!
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Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 6-8 potatoes peeled, and cut into medium cubes
  • 1 onion diced
  • salt
  • baharat
  • oil

Instructions
 

  • Put 3 tablespoons of oil in a pot and fry the onion in it until translucent.
  • Add the chicken pieces and fry until they are well-browned on all sides.
  • Add some baharat spice blend, and cover with water. Cook for 40 minutes in a covered pot over a low flame.
  • Fry the potatoes and set them aside. You may put them in oil and place in the oven to get some color. Don't forget to coat them in oil.
  • An hour before serving, add the potatoes to the pot with the chicken. Add some water if necessary. Add some baharat and salt, and let it cook for about another 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

This same method may be used with beef cubes in place of the chicken.
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Vegan T’bit

Vegan T’bit

Ashley G.
T'bit is an Iraqi Shabbat stew that stuffs a chicken with rice, and buries it in more rice. This is a Vegan take on the classic original.
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Ingredients
  

  • 300 g seitan sliced
  • 250 g short grain brown rice
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 small-medium tomatoes chopped
  • 1 medium potato sliced
  • 1 small container tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp soup powder
  • 1 tbsp yellow shwarma spice mix
  • 1 tbsp red shwarma spice mix
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • ½ tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ½-1 tsp baharat spice blend (more if it doesn't have a lot of cinnamon, less if it does)

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients, except potatoes, in a baking tin or casserole.
  • Add water to the top of the tin.
  • Arrange potato slices around the edges.
  • Cover with foil and bake at 150-200℃ for at least 2 hours (until most of the water has been absorbed by the rice).
  • Lower temperature to 75℃ for 6-8 hours.

Notes

I prefer the brown rice, but my husband’s family usually uses medium/long grain white rice.
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