Grünkohl

Curly Kale or as it is known in the North of Germany Grünkohl or even Sometimes Braunkohl is a favourite winter dish. The recipes are many and varied, some with rolled oats and served with fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) another is a famous Bremen dish called Grünkohl with Pinkel (this is a special smoked sausage).

But my favourite is as follows.



Spotteddicks Hubertus Grünkohl



Prepare it a day before it is required (it always tastes better warmed through the next day). Here in North Germany, I also make about 20 kg 0r more at a time; I am making it for our Hubertus evening next week (that is our winter hunting evening, clean weapons, shoot on the indoor range, chat about how big the one that got away was or other tall stories)

Ingredients for about twenty huntsmen (or 30 normal people)

20 kg unprepared curly kale (will give you about 11-12 kg when prepared)

2-3 kg of smoked ham from the rear leg (called Schweinebachen in Germany)

2-3kg Kassler,( this is a generic term for any piece of pork (I have heard it used also for Goose) that has been cured in brine and then lightly smoked).

A piece of smoked belly pork (1-2 kg)

20 Kohlwurst ( you will not be able to get these in England so use any smoked German or Polish sausage from Aldi or Lidl)

0,5 kg of bacon fat (or better still Goose fat)

Day one

Put the kale into large container (I use a babies bath) with plenty of water strip the kale from the ribs so you only have leaf. Give this a though washing with at least five changes of water. Next chop the kales roughly, blanch in a very large pan of salted boiling water (I have a 50 litre boiling pan that has its own power supply and thermostat).

Remove from water, strain and return to the babies bath to cool. when cool press all the remaining water out of the kale.

Throw out the water in the pan and sweat very finely chopped root vegetables ( carrots, leeks, celeriac, parsley root and onion) in half of the bacon fat, now add all the various meats and smoked sausages, sweat a little and then cover with water (or a good stock). Simmer the meat for about half an hour, remove any scum and add the kale, top up with water. Cook for a further hour and now add the remainder of the fat, when this has melted into the mass, stir it well and add pepper and salt to taste ( normally you do not need to add salt as the smoked cured meats have done their job and given up a lot of their saltiness into the liquor). Turn the heat down to a very low setting, and keep an eye on it giving it a stir every now and again to make sure it is not setting on. After another hour remove the meat (but not the sausages, these are served whole one per person) and cut into bite size pieces ( this depends some like it left in slices, some in chunks). Put back into the kale and switch off the heat it will continue cooking but there is no chance of it setting on.

Next day

Reheat over a low heat until all is warmed through and bubbling.

Place a ladle in the pot, a large loaf of rustical sour dough bread, a pile of plates and spoons at the side and all can help themselves.

Serve with a good hoppy beer and a bottle of Doppelkorn (Schnaps) for afters.



guten Appetit