Germany | Vegetables | Cabbage | Fall | Winter | Braising

Blaukraut

(German braised red cabbage)

Yield: 4-6 servings


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Lard or oil 2 Tbsp
Onion chopped finely 1 each
Red cabbage cored, shredded 1 head
Red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp
Stock or water 1 to 1 1/2 cups
Sugar   1 Tbsp
Cloves, whole 3 each
Bay leaves 2 each
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Sauté → Simmer
  1. Heat the lard or oil over medium flame in a large pot. Add onions and sauté till translucent.
  2. Add the cabbage in batches and stir in till wilted. Stir in vinegar.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer, covered, over low heat for 30-35 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

VARIATIONS

  • Add 1 diced carrot along with the onions.
  • Add 2 tsp caraway seeds or a few juniper berries with the onions if you like.
  • Sauté some diced salt pork in the beginning until it gives up its fat instead of the lard or oil.
  • Add 1 or 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced, after the onions have been sautéed. Heat through 1-2 minutes before adding the cabbage. Especially good with pork.
  • Add 1/4 cup red or white wine with the water or stock. Red is especially tasty with venison or duck roasts; white wine with goose.
  • When serving with game, stir in 2-4 tablespoons of currant jam at the end of cooking.
  • Sometimes some peeled, grated potato is added with the cabbage to thicken up the sauce a bit. A cornstarch slurry may also be used at the end to thicken the sauce and give it a sheen.

NOTES

  • Blaukraut, also known as rotkraut or rotkohl, is a popular German side dish. It is most often served with pork, sausages, goose, duck or game.
  • The vinegar in the recipe helps the cabbage to keep its bright purple color, as does the initial sautéing in hot fat before adding the liquid.
  • In England, the same dish is called Suffolk red cabbage.