German-Style Braised Cabbage

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all your ingredients. Use fresh green cabbage from the new crop if you can. The sauerkraut should be the plain, classic kind — no cranberries, horseradish, or apples. For the sausage, any smoked variety works — frankfurters, kielbasa, or similar — as long as it has that smoky flavor. Any vegetable oil is fine, but since we're frying, use a refined oil.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel and dice the onion. It'll peel more easily and be less sharp if you soak it in cold water for 20–30 minutes first.

3. Step 3:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet, add the chopped onion, and fry over medium heat until golden — usually about 5 minutes.

4. Step 4:

   

   Squeeze the brine out of the sauerkraut and add it to the pan. Stir and fry for about 7 minutes. Note that sauerkraut takes longer to fry than fresh cabbage.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the caraway seeds — either ground or whole, like I used. I wouldn't add any other spices to this dish; maybe just a pinch of ground hot pepper.

6. Step 6:

   

   Peel the sausage if needed — no need if the casing is natural. Slice into rounds about 1/4 inch (6–8 mm) thick. You want to feel the pieces in the cabbage, so don't cut them any smaller.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add to the pan and fry everything together for about 5–7 minutes, until the sausage is lightly browned.

8. Step 8:

   

   Rinse the green cabbage well, discard the top 2–3 leaves (where dirt collects), and shred it however you like.

9. Step 9:

   

   Add it to the pan, stir, and fry everything together for another 10 minutes.

10. Step 10:

    

    Salt the cabbage as soon as it goes into the pan — it'll wilt down faster and be easier to stir.

11. Step 11:

    

    In German cooking this dish stands on its own, but it also makes a great side for meat or poultry. Enjoy!