Baltic Christmas Day 9 - Štovēti kāposti, Latvian Christmas Sauerkraut

Today on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas we welcome back Ilze Ieviņa from the blog Let the Journey Begin! Ilze has previously contributed to the series with her posts on Kanēļmaizītes and the Rīga Christmas market, and today joins us with a traditional Latvian recipe that should be on every holiday table...

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...