-
1
Blanch the kale
10 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the stripped, washed kale leaves in batches and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they turn bright dark green and soften. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, plunge them into cold water, then squeeze dry and chop roughly. This german kale stew recipe starts here: blanching tames the kale's bitterness and shortens the braise.
Work in batches so the water stays at a boil; crowded kale cools the pot and goes grey.
Done when: Bright dark green, softened leaves that squeeze dry easily.
-
2
Sweat the onions and pork belly
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Melt the lard in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced smoked pork belly and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the fat starts to run and the edges crisp. Stir in the chopped onions and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent, but not browned.
Keep the heat moderate: browned onions turn the kale bitter.
Done when: Onions soft and glassy, pork belly lightly crisped at the edges.
-
3
Braise the kale low and slow
75 Mins
Low simmer, about 90°C (194°F)
Add the chopped kale to the pot and stir it through the onions and pork belly. Pour in the beef broth, make a hollow in the middle of the kale and nestle the Kassler into it. Cover, turn the heat to low and braise for about 75 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes and adding a splash of water if the pot looks dry. The kale should turn silky and dark, almost melting.
Do not rush this step: the long braise is what makes Grünkohl taste like Grünkohl.
Done when: Kale very tender, dark green and glossy, with almost no liquid left in the pot.
-
4
Boil the potatoes
20 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
While the kale braises, put the peeled potatoes in a separate pot of salted water, bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and keep warm with the lid on.
Start the potatoes when the kale has about 25 minutes left, so everything finishes together.
Done when: Potatoes tender all the way through, not falling apart.
-
5
Warm the Pinkel through
15 Mins
Low simmer, about 90°C (194°F)
Lay the Pinkel sausages on top of the kale, put the lid back on and leave them to warm through for the last 15 minutes of the braise. Do not boil them hard: Pinkel is a soft grain sausage and it bursts if it boils. Lift the Kassler out and slice it thickly.
If a sausage skin splits, it is still fine to eat — just serve it as it is.
Done when: Sausages hot all the way through and plump, skins intact.
-
6
Season and serve
5 Mins
Warm, about 70°C (158°F)
Stir the wholegrain mustard through the kale and taste. Add salt and black pepper a little at a time — the belly, Kassler and Pinkel have already salted the pot. Spoon the kale onto warm plates, lay a Pinkel sausage and slices of Kassler on top, and add the boiled potatoes on the side with a little extra mustard.
Taste before salting: this pot is almost always salty enough already.
Done when: Rich, dark, glossy kale that tastes smoky and savoury, with hot sausage and potatoes.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the kale stew piled high on warm plates with the sliced Kassler and a whole Pinkel sausage on top, potatoes alongside and mustard on the table. Eat it hot, with a cold drink — this is winter food, and it is at its best straight from the pot.
Germany
3h 30m
