Choucroute garnie

Moderate the salted belly. If the 250 g salted belly is strongly cured, soak it in 2000 ml cold water, then drain; if it is mild, use the same measured hour as a conservative desalting step. Heat: cold water. Timing: 60 minutes passive soaking. Purpose: A measured soak controls salt without teaching curing or fermentation. The belly remains firm but no longer has a heavily salty surface taste. Safety. Keep the pork refrigerated during soaking.

Prepare the sauerkraut. Drain the purchased sauerkraut and rinse it briefly under cold water only until its acidity and salt are moderated; squeeze gently, not dry. Heat: cold water. Timing: 10 minutes. Purpose: Rinsing is adjusted to the starting product, but the purchased fermented cabbage remains the defining base. The cabbage remains pleasantly sour and moist rather than washed bland.

Start the aromatic base. Melt the goose fat and cook the 200 g onion until translucent; add garlic, juniper, clove, bay and peppercorns. Heat: medium-low. Timing: 5 minutes. Purpose: Gentle aromatics season the cabbage without masking fermentation. The onion is soft and the spices smell aromatic without browning.

Layer cabbage and pork. Add sauerkraut, Riesling and 250 ml water, then nestle in the uncooked, ready-to-cook smoked shoulder, salted pork belly and smoked bacon slab. Cover and cook in a 150 °C oven. Heat: 150 °C oven. Timing: 60 minutes. Purpose: Staged cooking gives dense pork time without exposing sausages to the full braise. The cabbage is steaming, the pork has released flavour into the braising liquid and the pot remains moist. Safety. Treat the three whole pork cuts as uncooked/ready-to-cook products and keep them under temperature control until braising.

Add potatoes. Add the 900 g potatoes around the cabbage and continue covered until the potatoes are tender and the thickest part of each whole pork cut reaches at least 63 °C. Heat: 150 °C oven. Timing: 30 minutes. Purpose: Potatoes finish in the aromatic braising environment without dissolving. The potatoes are tender to a knife, the cabbage is silky but still distinct, and each whole pork cut reaches at least 63 °C in its thickest part. Safety. Verify at least 63 °C in the smoked shoulder, salted pork belly and smoked bacon slab with a clean food thermometer.

Heat the smoked sausage. Warm 750 ml of the sausage-heating water to 80–85 °C and heat the 300 g Montbéliard-style sausage gently without boiling until the centre reaches 74 °C. Heat: 80–85 °C water. Timing: 20 minutes. Purpose: Sub-boiling water limits splitting and fat loss. The sausage is hot through, the casing remains intact and the centre reaches 74 °C. Safety. Use a food thermometer; packaged sausage instructions take precedence if stricter.

Heat the Strasbourg sausage. Use the remaining 750 ml sausage-heating water at about 80 °C to heat the 300 g Strasbourg-style sausage until the centre reaches 74 °C. Heat: about 80 °C water. Timing: 10 minutes. Purpose: Short gentle heating protects the finer sausage texture. The sausage is plump, intact and reaches 74 °C without boiling. Safety. Use a food thermometer; packaged sausage instructions take precedence if stricter.

Rest and arrange. Rest the casserole and whole pork cuts for 5 minutes, then slice the pork and sausages and arrange them over the sauerkraut with potatoes. Timing: 5 minutes passive rest. Purpose: A short rest makes the assembled platter easier to serve. The whole pork cuts have rested at least 3 minutes after reaching 63 °C, the braising liquid has settled into the cabbage and the meats can be sliced cleanly. Safety. Do not slice the whole pork cuts until at least 3 minutes have elapsed after they reached 63 °C.