Štovēti kāposti – Latvian Christmas Sauerkraut Recipe
A Latvian Christmas would be incomplete without the
smell and the taste of štovēti kāposti. Usually served alongside boiled
potatoes and pork roast, this dish is a staple of most families’ Christmas
feast. And, of course, every family has its own recipe, better than any other!
This is my family’s štovēti kāposti recipe,
adapted for ingredients available abroad.
The ingredients below will give you a large pot of Latvian
sauerkraut, enough to feed the extended family and have some leftovers for the
next day. In fact, this is a dish that actually tastes better after reheating! But,
if you think it’s too much, you can easily halve the recipe.
You will need:
2kg sauerkraut
800 gr pork belly (alternatively, pork ribs)
2-3 carrots
2-3 onions
1 tbsp caraway seeds
Salt
Sugar (or another sweetener)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
A note on sauerkraut
If you can find it, fresh sauerkraut is best for this
recipe. Latvians typically make sauerkraut with grated carrots and caraway
seeds. It’s unlikely you’ll find this particular combination elsewhere,
therefore the two are included in the ingredient list above.
If you cannot get your hands on fresh sauerkraut,
store-bought can be used as well. But know that the packaged variety is usually
much more sour. Speaking from experience, if you want to save yourself time and
effort, rinse it before use! If you don’t, you’ll need a LOT of sugar
and/or other sweetener to reduce the sourness.
A note on sweeteners
My mom uses white sugar. My aunt uses orange juice
instead of water. I prefer a combination of brown sugar and maple syrup. Others
swear by honey.
In a nutshell, use what you have and like!
Cooking instructions:
Cut the pork belly in smaller pieces and chop the
onion.
Heat frying oil in a large pot, add the pork and the
onion and fry on medium heat until the meat starts to brown.
Meanwhile, drain (and if needed, rinse) the sauerkraut
and peel and grate the carrots.
Once the meat is slightly brown, add the sauerkraut,
carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns, caraway seeds, as well as some salt and
around 2 tbsp of sugar.
Add water until barely covering the mixture and stir the ingredients.
Bring to boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer
for 2,5 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
If needed, add more water in between.
TIP: you can also save time and use a pressure cooker.
Cook for around 30 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release
naturally.
The sauerkraut will turn a beautiful brown shade, and
the meat will almost disintegrate, leaving only the biggest pieces intact.
The last thing you need to do is adapt the taste –
perhaps add a little more salt, definitely add a bit more sweetness. The
sauerkraut should taste slightly sour and slightly sweet.
Serve the štovēti kāposti with potatoes and a
meat of your choice.
Enjoy!
Mīļš paldies Ilze! Ilze is a sociologist, a digital media
enthusiast, and an avid procrastinator. Originally from Latvia, she has spent
the last decade in Northern Germany. Ilze’s blog Let the Journey Begin follows her adventures of living (and parenting) between different languages and cultures. She can also be found on facebook and Instagram.
Thanks for joining us today on 24 Days of a Baltic
Christmas, and we hope you’ll return tomorrow for a Lithuanian recipe...
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