Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut

Bratwurst mit (with) Sauerkraut and a beer is a meal made for a man! Okay us ladies will also really enjoy this meal for it's flavors and if it's your turn to cook dinner for it's convenience. Sauerkraut is the German word for a fermented finely shredded white cabbage. Sauerkraut is somewhat sour and has a slight crunchiness or crispness to it. It is a common ingredient in not only German but several Slavic dishes and let's not forget a delicious French dish called Choucroute Garnie made with sauerkraut, sausages and some salted meats. I really liked Choucroute but other than that I mostly have seen or have used Sauerkraut used as a topping for grilled sausages and both as a side dish and inside of Polish Pierogi dumplings.

Bratwurst means sausage in German, the sausage is made of either Veal,pork or beef. The Bratwurst I like the most is the one made from Veal and it is the one that I will use for this recipe. In the US when you think Bratwurst you think of a grilled sausage inside a hot dog bun or roll, usually served with mustard, grilled onions and or sauerkraut. On our trips to Germany and Austria, we have been served Bratwurst with sauerkraut and either mashed or boiled potatoes. Usually there is some assorted mustard and breads on the table to go with the meal. If you are looking for fast food style Bratwurst in either Germany or Austria you can find such a variety of Bratwurst ,depending on the region, just from small cafes or vendors. Oh, and don't forget to try their famous Currywurst, made from pork and seasoned with a sauce made of ketchup and curry powder.

Every trip we make to Germany and Vienna we always have at least a couple of Bratwurst meals. It's a meal we both enjoy and want on more occasions than just on trips. This is my recreation of this yummy dish, did I mention that it's super easy and fast to make? Well it is just perfect for nights when you don't have a lot of time to cook.

Your ingredients:
Serves 2

1 bag of Sauerkraut ( 500 grams / 17.64 ounces ), drain most of the liquid
6 juniper berries
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 large onion, sliced
Sunflower oil

3 Bratwurst, use as many sausage as you want or each person eats

optional:

Mustard

Mashed or boiled potatoes

bread

1. Slice the onion, in a large frying pan heat about a spoonful of oil and fry the onion until it becomes translucent. Next add the juniper berries and the partially drained sauerkraut, salt and pepper. Stir and combine all the ingredients, cover and leave to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauerkraut will start to turn golden , this is what you want. Don't allow it to burn , if you need to you can add a little water to prevent the cabbage from sticking to the pan.
2. While the sauerkraut is cooking you can either grill the Bratwurst or cook in in a frying pan with a little bit of oil.


If you want you can also fry some more onion to put on top of the Bratwurst. You could also serve with mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes on the side and mustard. Ah don't forget that beer goes great with this meal, your man will be very pleased :)
Here are a couple of snapshots from two different trips one to Berlin and the other to Vienna. I unfortunately couldn't find a snapshot of Bratwurst with mash potatoes from our trips.