Alsatian French · Dinner

Choucroute garnie (Alsatian sauerkraut platter)

Name: Choucroute garnie (Alsatian sauerkraut platter)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h 25 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Alsatian French
Ingredients: 3 pounds refrigerated sauerkraut, drained; 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces; 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 8 juniper berries, lightly crushed; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 cups dry Alsatian Riesling or other dry white wine; 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 1 1/2 pounds fully cooked smoked pork shoulder or smoked pork chops; 1 1/2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes; 4 fresh bratwurst links, about 1 pound; 12 ounces fully cooked kielbasa, cut in 4 pieces; 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, for serving

Wine-braised sauerkraut with smoked pork, bratwurst, kielbasa, and potatoes—the generous cold-weather platter of Alsace.

About 3 hrTotal

About 3 hrActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 servings

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 servings

3 pounds refrigerated sauerkraut, drained
6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups dry Alsatian Riesling or other dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds fully cooked smoked pork shoulder or smoked pork chops
1 1/2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes
4 fresh bratwurst links, about 1 pound
12 ounces fully cooked kielbasa, cut in 4 pieces
1/4 cup Dijon mustard, for serving

Instructions

Taste the sauerkraut. Rinse once under cold water only if aggressively salty or sour, then squeeze it very dry and loosen the strands; do not wash away all fermentation character.
Render bacon in a over medium heat until lightly crisp. Add onion and cook 8 minutes, then garlic, juniper, caraway, bay, and pepper for 30 seconds.
Fold in sauerkraut, wine, and stock. Bury the smoked pork in the cabbage, cover, and braise at 325°F for 75 minutes, turning the pork once so the cabbage cooks evenly without drying.
Nestle potatoes into the liquid around the edge, cover, and cook 30 to 40 minutes until tender and the smoked pork reheats to 165°F. Meanwhile brown bratwurst in a skillet, add 1/2 cup braising liquid, cover, and cook to 160°F; add kielbasa for the final 8 minutes and reheat it to 165°F.
Rest smoked pork 5 minutes and slice. Discard bay leaves, mound sauerkraut on a warm platter, and arrange pork, bratwurst, kielbasa, and potatoes on top. Serve Dijon alongside rather than stirring it into the wine-bright cabbage.

Alsace, FranceAlsatian borderland cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Choucroute garnie is Alsace’s wine-braised sauerkraut platter, combining fermented cabbage with smoked pork, sausages, potatoes, juniper, and mustard in a borderland tradition shaped by both French and German foodways.

Choucroute garnie literally means garnished sauerkraut. There is no single mandatory meat combination, but fermented cabbage slowly cooked with wine and an assortment of pork, sausages, and potatoes defines the Alsatian platter. The English clarifier makes that immediately legible. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Keep the authoritative Alsatian wine, cabbage, pork, sausage, and potato structure, but limit the platter to three readily sourced meats and stage them for safe temperatures and distinct textures.

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