Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [105]
serve the ribs from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6
Sausage
There are myriad choices when it comes to sausages, and they all do well in the slow cooker. It’s really your choice as to whether the sausage is sweet, spicy, or hot, and those I call for in the recipes are only suggestions. Have fun with this, because sausage is comfort food. It’s all about what makes you happy at the table!
MEXICAN CHORIZO
This is a sausage made from pork and chiles. It must be removed from its casing and cooked like ground beef before using.
SPANISH CHORIZO
Made from pork, it is a dried sausage and can be used as is. It is great in paella.
ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Either sweet or hot, Italian sausages are pork based and can be flavored with fennel seeds or whatever is common in the region. Most sweet Italian sausage sold here has fennel seeds and black pepper added to it. Hot sausages are heated with red pepper flakes added to the mix.
SMOKED SAUSAGE
Kielbasa is made from ground beef and pork sausage and is then smoked. Since it’s already cooked, you can eat it right out of the package, but it’s terrific to cook with sauerkraut or potatoes.
ANDOUILLE
Smoked with garlic and black and red peppers, this sausage is Creole to the core. Use it in gumbo and jambalaya.
BOCKWURST
Made with pork, veal, and seasonings, this delicate sausage works well in the slow cooker.
BAVARIAN WURST
Already cooked, it’s similar to its cousin bockwurst.
KNOCKWURST
This sausage made with beef, pork, and garlic is generally smoked. Heat and serve.
BRATWURST
Made from pork, sometimes with veal added, bratwurst can be smoked or fresh. Make sure to cook the fresh thoroughly. They do well in the slow cooker.
Choucroute Garni
Most versions of this dish, basically a peasant stew made with sauerkraut and pork, contain some type of sausage as the pork component. This simple supper will be a welcome dinner on a cold winter night. It is stick-to-your-ribs fare with a flair. Serve with stone-ground mustard and spicy applesauce.
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 pounds smoked sausages, cut into 1-inch rounds, or your favorite sausage (see savvy)
4 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine
arrange the potatoes, apples, onions, salt, pepper, oil, and garlic in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and toss to coat all the ingredients. Spread them in an even layer.
cover the potato mixture with the sausages and top with the sauerkraut. Mix the mustard and wine and pour over the top of the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. At the end of the cooking time, make sure the potatoes are cooked through and tender.
serve each person a portion of the potato mixture, sausages, and sauerkraut, using a slotted spoon to drain off any additional liquid.
serves 8
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sausage savvy
If you would like to make this with uncooked sausages, such as bratwurst, or with pork chops, make sure to brown the meat first and then add them to the slow cooker.
Brats ’n’ Beer
This is the way to get your friends’ attention: throw an Oktoberfest party and serve them brats braised in your favorite local brew with onions and sauerkraut. The brats emerge from the slow cooker succulent and juicy. Serve them on rolls with the onions and sauerkraut from the cooker, along with an assortment of mustards, chunky applesauce, and more of your favorite brew.
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, cut into half rounds
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup Dijon or whole-grain mustard
32 ounces or (about