Almost 20 years ago, Kelly & I traveled to Ireland for a girls trip with my mom & sisters. We were exploring our heritage. Every since that trip, Eric has wanted to do a boys trip to Germany with Andrew to explore his heritage. They were planning to do the trip this year, at this time, to be there during Oktoberfest. The plan was to explore Munich and the surrounding area and then to travel to Berlin for a few days. Enter Covid-19. In April, Munich’s Lord Mayor had no choice but to cancel the biggest folk festival in the world. With six million visitors, (2 million of them foreigners) the danger of spreading the virus was too great to allow the crowded beer tents, and streets and alleys streaming with people that are all part of the Oktoberfest celebration to happen.
Needless to say, the trip was postponed. While they cannot replicate the visits to the historical sites Eric & Andrew were planning to see in Western Europe with similar sites around Chicagoland, we can enjoy some of the foods they would have eaten while in Germany.
German Meatballs with Sauerkraut
German Meatballs with Sauerkraut (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes, Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 32 ounces sauerkraut, undrained
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- additional parsley for garnish
- stone ground mustard for serving
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, egg, and milk. Mix it all together thoroughly, then shape it into 16-20 meatballs, about 2-inches in diameter each.
Mix together the meatball ingredients.
Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides.
Cook the meatballs in the oil . . .
. . . until they are browned on all sides.
Remove the meatballs from the skillet and drain the fat.
Set the meatballs aside.
Add the sauerkraut and caraway seeds to the skillet.
Add the sauerkraut to the skillet.
Top the sauerkraut with the meatballs. Cover the skillet and simmer it for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Add the meatballs to the sauerkraut.
Transfer the contents of the skillet to a serving dish and sprinkle additional parsley over the top. Serve with stone ground mustard and German beer.
Enjoy with some stone ground mustard and German beer!
Bis nächstes Jahr, Munich! ~Linda
German Meatballs with Sauerkraut (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes, Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 32 ounces sauerkraut, undrained
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- additional parsley for garnish
- stone ground mustard for serving
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, egg, and milk. Mix it together thoroughly, then shape it into 16-20 meatballs, about 2-inches in diameter each. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and drain the fat. Add the sauerkraut and caraway seeds to the skillet. Top the sauerkraut with the meatballs. Cover the skillet and simmer it for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a serving dish and sprinkle additional parsley over the top. Serve with stone ground mustard and German beer.