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Berner Platte
Berner Platte: Bern platter of smoked meats and sausages over sauerkraut and beans
SwissThe Berner Platte is Bern's great feast platter, said to celebrate the victory over the French at Neuenegg in 1798, and it is still served in the old taverns under the arcades of Bern's old town, especially in autumn and winter: a heap of smoked pork belly, smoked pork shoulder, tongue, beef, Bernese sausages and marrow bones, laid over sauerkraut, dried green beans and boiled potatoes. This dish contains pork. A common mistake is boiling everything together for the same time; the sausages split and the beef is still tough. Chef's tip: cook each meat for its own time in the same pot, adding the sausages only for the last 20 minutes at a gentle simmer. Whole pork cuts must reach 63 °C and sausages 71 °C.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the meats
- 1 ¾ lb beef brisket
- 1 ⅛ lb smoked pork belly
- 12 ½ cups water
- 1 onionstudded with 2 cloves
For the vegetables
- 1 ¾ lb sauerkrautrinsed
- 14 oz green beans
- 2 ¼ lb potatoesboiled
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer 1 ¾ lb beef brisket in 12 ½ cups water with 1 onion and 2 bay leaves for 1 hour.
60 minStep 2: Add 1 ¾ lb smoked pork shoulder (Schüfeli) and 1 ⅛ lb smoked pork belly and simmer gently 1 hour more, until all are tender and the pork reaches 145°F.
60 minStep 3: Meanwhile simmer 1 ¾ lb sauerkraut with 6 juniper berries and a ladle of the broth for 45 minutes.
45 minStep 4: Add 4 Bernese sausages or smoked pork sausages to the meat pot and keep just below a simmer for 20 minutes, until they reach 160°F. Common mistake: boiling them; they split.
20 minStep 5: Cook 14 oz green beans in salted water for 8 minutes.
8 minStep 6: Slice the meats and arrange over the sauerkraut and beans on a large platter, with 2 ¼ lb potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 52 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does berner Platte take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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