Authentic Bavarian Grub
Celebrate Oktoberfest in your own kitchen with this traditional German comfort food. Cabbage and sausage – whether it’s knockwurst, weisswurst, bockwurst or braturst – is the culinary national obsession in Munich’s beer gardens. We had the best version of this meal one day at the Englischer Garten, where the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) sits.
Bizarre Foods in the Kitchen: Beer Garden-Style Red Cabbage & Sausage
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. heads of red cabbage, cored and shredded/sliced thin
- 1 fresh beet, diced
- 3 lbs. mixed sausages: Knockwurst, Weisswurst, Bockwurst, etc.
- 4 apples, Haralsons work well
- 3 cups dry red wine
- 3 onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup butter, plus 2 tbs. for the sausages
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pickling spices
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 tablespoons parsley, minced (hold back a teaspoon for garnish)
- 4 tablespoons minced dill (hold back a teaspoon for garnish)
Instructions
Servings: 8
Clean, cut out the core and slice cabbage thin. Peel, cut out the core and slice apples. Discard peels and cores.
Melt the butter over high heat in a large pot. Add the onions, sugar and salt and cook until lightly caramelized, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add apples, beets, cabbage and all of the herbs and spices, stirring to combine. Next, add the vinegar and red wine. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.
When the cabbage has cooked for about an hour, start to brown your sausages in a separate skillet with 2 tablespoons butter. Turn to lightly brown all sides, cooking for about 10 minutes.
Remove lid on the cabbage and continue to cook on low heat. Pile sausages on top, cooking for 5 to 10 minutes more to reduce the juices. The simmering will keep the sausages warm.
Serve with pretzel bread and plenty of strong Bavarian mustard.
