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Svadbarski kupus
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
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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.
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