AI-generated image
Svadbarski kupus
Sauerkraut and smoked pork stew
Svadbarski kupus (Свадбарски купус): Serbian wedding cabbage of sauerkraut and smoked pork slow-cooked in a clay pot
Wedding cabbage is cooked by the cauldron in central Serbia, and the village of Mrčajevci near Čačak holds a whole autumn festival in its honour, with cooks competing over clay pots that have bubbled in the embers since dawn. Sauerkraut is layered with smoked pork ribs, smoked bacon, pork shoulder and beef shin, then left alone for hours until the meat collapses and the cabbage turns soft, smoky and sour-sweet. This version goes into a low oven in a clay pot or heavy casserole. Serve it with bread, hot dried chillies and a glass of cold water. Hurrying it in a hot oven is the commonest error; at 200 °C the kraut dries and the meat tightens, while 150 °C and patience give silky results. Chef's tip: it is even better made a day ahead; cool, refrigerate and reheat covered until bubbling hot all the way through.
- Total time
- 360 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb sauerkraut
- 2 tbsp lard
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 5 cm chunks
- 1 ⅛ lb beef shincut into 5 cm chunks
- 2 onionssliced
- 4 cloves garlicsliced
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp hot paprika
- 1 ⅓ lb smoked pork ribscut into 2-rib pieces
- 9 oz smoked streaky bacon, in one piececut into chunks
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 ¼ cups waterplus extra if needed
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Taste the 3 ⅓ lb sauerkraut; if very salty, rinse it once and squeeze well. Shred any whole leaves.
5 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan). Heat the 2 tbsp lard in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the 1 ⅓ lb boneless pork shoulder and 1 ⅛ lb beef shin in batches for about 6 minutes each, until browned all over. Set aside, and wash up after handling raw meat.
18 minStep 3: Fry the 2 onions in the same fat over a medium heat for 8 minutes, until golden, then stir in the 4 cloves garlic, 2 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp hot paprika for 1 minute.
9 minStep 4: In a 6-litre clay pot or heavy casserole, layer a third of the kraut, half the browned meat, half the 1 ⅓ lb smoked pork ribs and 9 oz smoked streaky bacon, in one piece, half the onions, and half the 3 bay leaves, 2 dried red chillies and 1 tsp black peppercorns. Repeat, and finish with the last of the kraut.
8 minStep 5: Pour in the 3 ¼ cups water, which should come about two-thirds of the way up. Cover tightly, with foil under the lid.
2 minStep 6: Bake for 5 hours without stirring. After 3 hours, check the liquid and top up with hot water if it has dropped below halfway.
270 minStep 7: Uncover for the last 30 minutes so the top browns. It is ready when the beef shin is fork-tender and the pork falls from the rib bones; all the meat will be well above 160°F.
30 minStep 8: Rest for 15 minutes, remove the bay leaves and chillies if you like, and serve from the pot.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does svadbarski kupus take?
- About 360 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 330 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 onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian