Grünkohl

Grünkohl with Pinkel and Smoked Sausage

A traditional North German winter dish of curly kale slow-cooked with smoked and salted pork until dark and meltingly soft, served with boiled potatoes, mustard, and a choice of smoked sausages including Pinkel. The long simmer is what transforms the kale, so give it time.

Prep

30 min

Cook

180 min

Total

210 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) curly kale, tough stems stripped, leaves roughly chopped
• •100 g (3½ oz) smoked bacon (Bauchspeck), rind removed, cut into lardons
• •1 piece smoked pork neck or shoulder (Kassler), about 300 g / 10½ oz; can substitute smoked pork chop
• •4 pieces Pinkel sausage, or Kohlwurst; substitute Kielbasa or a good smoked pork sausage if unavailable
• •4 pieces smoked pork sausages (Rauchwurst), such as Bregenwurst or a coarse smoked frankfurter
• •2 medium onions, finely chopped
• •1 tbsp beef dripping or lard, or neutral oil
• •1 tsp sugar, optional, to balance
• •1 tbsp German medium-hot mustard, for serving
• •1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) floury potatoes, such as Agria or Maris Piper, for boiling
• •salt and black pepper, to taste, taste before salting - smoked meats release a lot of salt
• •1 tbsp white wine vinegar, optional, for the end

Steps

1. 1 Strip the tough stems from the kale and roughly chop the leaves. Rinse well in cold water and drain. Peel and finely chop the onions. Cut the bacon into lardons.
2. 2 In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the dripping over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry for 5–7 minutes until the fat renders and they begin to colour.
3. 3 Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until softened and translucent but not browned.
4. 4 Add the kale in handfuls, stirring each addition so it wilts down. Once all the kale is in, add the Kassler (or smoked pork chop), pour in 250 ml (8½ fl oz / 1 cup) water, cover, and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. 5 Reduce the heat to low. Simmer covered for 1½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so and adding a splash of water if the pot looks dry. The kale should be collapsing and darkening.
6. 6 Add the Pinkel and smoked sausages to the pot, nestling them into the kale. Cover and continue to simmer gently for a further 1–1½ hours, stirring occasionally. The kale should be very soft, dark green-brown, and the sausages heated through. Pinkel should reach an internal temperature of at least 75°C (167°F).
7. 7 Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and boil them in well-salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and keep warm.
8. 8 Lift the sausages and the Kassler out of the pot. Slice the Kassler into serving pieces. Taste the kale and season with pepper and, only if needed, a little salt. Stir in the sugar and the vinegar if using - the kale should taste savoury with a faint sweet-sour lift against the fat.
9. 9 Serve the kale in deep plates with the boiled potatoes, slices of Kassler, and the sausages cut into thick rounds or served whole. Offer the German mustard on the side.