Chef Walter Staib's Schashlik & Sauerkraut Recipe

Schashlik
Chef Walter Staib is proud to present these delicious recipes adapted from his cookbook -Black Forest Cuisine ©2006 by Walter Staib
Running Press Book Publishers, Philadelphia & London. The following recipes have been developed to best utilize the variety of great Dietz & Watson® products and represent great labor-savings without sacrificing delicious flavors.

Serves 4
Pork Skewers
1 ½ pound Dietz & Watson® Pork Roast,
sliced into 1 inch cubes (or Dietz & Watson® angus roast beef)
8 ounces Dietz & Watson® Bacon, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
2 large bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped into 2-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons Dietz & Watson® bacon, finely chopped finely
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped green or red bell pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1/2 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sour cream
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

1. To make the skewers, soak 4 bamboo skewers (8 to 12 inches long) in water for about 30 minutes. (You can skip this step by using metal skewers.) Place a piece of pork, bacon, onion, and bell pepper on each skewer, continuing the process until the ingredients are equally divided among the skewers. Season the skewers with salt and pepper, brush with oil, and set aside in a shallow casserole dish or pan to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over high heat, place the skewers in the pan, and brown them on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the skewers, setting them aside momentarily, and return the pan to the stove.

3. To make the sauce, heat the butter remaining in the pan over high heat, toss in the garlic, and sauté until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the bacon, sautéing until crisp, then add the onion and bell pepper, sautéing until slightly softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Stir in the flour and paprika and add the wine to deglaze, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Return the skewers to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is creamy.

6. To serve, place the skewers on a platter or individual plates, stir the sour cream into the sauce, and spoon the sauce over the skewers, garnishing with chives.

Sauerkraut

Chef Walter Staib is proud to present these delicious recipes adapted from his cookbook –The City Tavern Cookbook: Recipes from the Birthplace of American Cuisine ©2009 by Walter Staib and Running Press. The following recipes have been developed to best utilize the variety of great Dietz & Watson® products and represent great labor-savings without sacrificing delicious flavors.

Serves 6
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
9 slices Dietz & Watson® bacon
2 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 cups Dietz & Watson® Sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1½ cups Chicken Stock
1 cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 large red skinned potato (about 3 ounces), peeled and grated
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook for 3 minutes, until crisp. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Stir in the sauerkraut, stock, wine, and caraway seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes, until the stock is reduced by three-fourths.

Stir in the apples and potato and cook about 30 minutes more, until the apples and potato are dissolved. Season with salt and pepper to taste.