Super Tuesday Choucrout Garni

Super Tuesday was a cold day by LA standards.  All I wanted to do was to get in my flannel jammies and watch the election returns.  I had only enough left over chicken noodle soup from the day before for the kids.  That was a good thing, because it meant that I could make something adult for my husband and myself.  I wanted something that would cook itself with minimal effort from me, since my eyes would be glued to the TV during prep.  I scoured the fridge and found an unopened jar of sauerkraut, a hunk of smoked pork loin and a smoked sausage of sorts, both pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed, which I got at the Farmer's Market last week.  I remembered I had a ham hock in the freezer, and a bottle of dry muscat gifted to me earlier that week.  All the ingredients for easy, no-fuss choucrout garni, without having to leave the house!!

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic

3 cups dry Riesling (or 2.5 cups chicken/vegetable stock + 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar)

1 teaspoon juniper berries

2 bay leaves

1 large jar (about 2 -3 cups) sauerkraut, drained and rinsed in a colander

ham hock, cut-up sausage, or any other pork product you may have on hand

Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven.  Cut the onion in half through the root end, peel and trim off the ends, then cut thinly in half moons.  Add the onion and cook for five minutes until translucent.  Grate the garlic cloves into the pot and cook a minute longer (a Microplane grater is a God-send for this).  Add the wine and bring to gentle boil.  Add the juniper berries and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes longer.  Add the uncooked pork parts (I added the ham hock) along with the sauerkraut and cook on low heat for 2 hours, until tender.  Add the cooked pork parts and cook 30 - 45 minutes longer.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Be careful not to oversalt, as prepared pork products tend to contribute a considerable amount of salt.