Lew -
First let me tell you that I live in an area of Texas that supports a large community of German and Polish folks. There is a lot of fun ribbing and beer drinking between all of us, and of course any opportunity to have sausage eating and beer drinking together, we do it. The similarities in our eating habits have certainly not escaped any of us.
We have the Wurstfest (sausage) celebration every year in New Braunfels, Chilispiel, Bergesfest, and on and on all year. So we have all manner of sausage everything. The blending of regional recipes was inevitable, so I don't really think this is anything too traditionally German.
I picked up this recipe about 35 years ago when I was going out with a girl who had grandparents that literally spoke English as a second language, their first being German. Both of their parents (her >great< grandparents) literally "came over on the boat" aroud the turn of the century and moved to the country to farm with the large German community that was here by that time.
What an accent her grandparents had... it was a delight to hear Opa and Oma speak. It was better still to go up there for a family get together and drink beer, play horseshoes and eat.
Anyway, Opa never made his concotion the same way twice, and that was something he was always proud of when everyone was over. He measured little, and learned how to make it by eye from his father and mother. This is his basic recipe, and I have found it similar to a lot of others, so doctor it up any way you like. If you make this, bake a big pan of cornbread to go with this (jalepenos optional) and you will think you have gone to heaven.
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In a 6 qt stock pot, fill it half way with water and add about 1/2 tablespoon of salt.
Add to the water ham bones, shanks, cooked ham shank bones, whatever is on hand that has a little meat on it, smoked of course is better. (I smoke a few hams a year and always save the bones for this and/or collards.) Add about a 1/2 cup of onion and 1/2 cup of celery, and boil covered bones, etc. for about 30 minutes
Remove bone and throw it away
While you are boiling the bone, cut up as much sausage as you like - for me, usually about 2 lbs or so, and brown in a pan. Drain off the excess grease.
In the pan with the remaining grease, brown (to toasty) 1/2 cup onions and set aside
Take a large head of white cabbage cut into 1" strips, coring out the center as you go
After you have thrown away the bone, add your cabbage to the pot. For color, I usually take the vegetable peeler and peel of about 1/2 of a large carrot into the mix
After the cabbage has cooked for about 20 minutes (cooking down but barely starting to get done) you should add enough chicken or beef broth to get it to about 2/3 full in your pot. Then add two 12 oz dark beers, the cooked sausage, the browned onions, and one heaping tablespoon of caraway seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
With all your liquids and ingredients you should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches below the rim of your stockpot. Adjust liquid level as needed with more beer, stock or if desperate.... water
Simmer for 20 minutes, covered until the cabbage is cooked. You don't want the sausage to fall apart, nor the caraway seeds to lose their taste. Add salt to taste before serving
Somewhere in the cooking process, he used to cook up some extra crispy bacon, and sprinkle chopped bits of it on top of a steamy bowl of this stuff (never in the pot) just before serving.
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This stuff is really rich and filling, and like so many of these dishes, even better the second day. Sometimes I put some fresh parsley in it, maybe more black pepper, and have even enjoyed some browned potatoes stirred in at the last. Even some destemmed Georgia collards mixed in when cooking the cabbage. But this is the basic recipe.
Whaddaya think?
Robert