Skip to main content

Stschi - Meat and Cabbage Stew

My lovely brother accused me of posting elitist bourgeoise recipes using the steam oven, so here's a recipe for the people--LITERALLY. This is from DDR Kochbuch - Das Original, a cookbook of East German recipes that we got in Weimar. This clearly influenced by the multitude of Russian recipes for shchi, or cabbage soup. Being on the eastward side of the iron curtain, many GDR recipes were influenced by cuisine from within the USSR.

I believe this could be made with sauerkraut rather than fresh cabbage. If you use kraut, rinse it a couple of times first, and then don't add vinegar later on.

The humble appearance of this soup belies wonderfully rich flavor. For this version we used pork loin, but can be made with other cuts of pork, or with beef or veal. The meat is cooked until tender, but still with some chew to it.

2 lbs.  boneless stew meat: beef, pork, or veal (or 3-5 lbs bone-in)
1 large celery root (celeriac), cubed
1 large leek, separate the leaves, wash thoroughly and dice
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 white cabbage, shredded finely (~4 c.)
OR 1 can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (omit vinegar)
1 stick butter
2 bay leaves
1 bundle thyme (optional)
white pepper
salt
~1 Tbsp cider vinegar, to taste

Place the whole meat chunk (no need to cube) in a large pot and cover with 2 qts. water or broth, add the bay leaves and thyme, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1.5 hrs or until tender. Remove from the pot and allow to cool enough to cut into cubes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook over low heat until they are softened. Increase the heat and add the celeriac and carrots. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the vegetables start to brown (do not burn).

Strain the broth into the soup pot, and bring the broth and vegetables back to a gentle boil. Add the cabbage/kraut and simmer for 5 minutes or until just tender. Add the chopped meat and adjust the seasoning with salt, white pepper, and vinegar. When heated through, serve hot, with buttered bread.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thick-cut Pork Chops

These intimidating chops were actually pretty easy to cook. They're called an "Iowa Chop", and they're just a thick-cut, bone-in, center-cut chop. I've discovered that the secret to juicy pork chops is to start with a cold pan and obsessively checking the temperature . I find they're best just under 160 degrees. Pork Chops 2 1-lb. Iowa Chops 2-3 Tbsp. salt 2 Tbsp. white pepper 2 Tbsp. dried sage 2 Tbsp. Smoked (or regular) paprika 3 Tbsp. oil Sauce (optional): 1/2 c. chicken broth 1/2 c. white wine (I used Pinot Grigio) 2 Tbsp. corn starch 1 tsp. white pepper 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 c. cold water Preheat the oven to 350. Pat the chops dry with some paper towel. Sprinkle them liberally with the salt and spices and allow them to warm up to room temperature while you start the quinoa and chop the cauliflower. Place the oil in your pan, but do not pre-heat the pan. Add the chops to the pan and place them on the stove. Heat the pan up to medium, turning the chop

Miele Steam Oven Pulled Pork

I've been debating whether I should post some of these more niche recipes--now that we have a steam oven and a high powered stove, I am making recipes that not everyone can reproduce with other equipment. I've decided to post some of them 1) for my own records, and 2) because there are very few recipes available online for these devices (especially the steam oven). Perhaps these recipes will be of use to others. I don't have a photo for this one because I decided to post the recipe after the fact. 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast (~3 lb without bone, ~5 lb with) 1 large white onion, 1/4" slices 1 Tbsp. butter 1 chicken boullion cube 1 c. water 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. whole coriander 1 Tbsp. coarse ground salt 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. celery seed Saute the onions in the butter in a saute pan over medium for 10 min until the onions are somewha

Baking Powder Dumplings

This is Mom's standard dumpling recipe, excellent with chicken soup. Drop them in, put the lid on, and enjoy. Ingredients: 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 scant cup milk or water Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the milk or water gradually to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonful into boiling salted water or simmering stew. Cover tightly, cook 10-15 minutes before lifting cover. Test for doneness, drain. Serve at once. Well, once they cool off so you don't burn your tongue. PS - This is post 199! Hope someone does something special for #200!