Kraut, Smoked Pork Chops & Dumplings (Kraut Sputel)

I had this dish many years ago, in what was then West Germany, in the state of Hessen, its place of origin. Northern Hessen (German: Nordhessen) is the area where part of my maternal German ancestors came from. The yeast dumplings, with bits of butter mixed in, are just FANTASTIC! This was the first time I made the dish, but it is well worth any effort. It's Hessian name is "Kraut Sputel," and "Sputel" is a Hessian dialect word, derived from German "sputen," a word closely related to the English word "speed." * The German term for the pork chops used is, "Kasseler Rippchen," and they are from pork loin, which is cut into pork chops. Kasseler Rippchen are salt cured, then lightly smoked. "Frankfurter Rippchen" are pork chops that are salt cured, but not smoked," obviously a specialty of the city of Frankfurt, in Hessen. The origin of the term "Kasseler Rippchen" (also spelled "Kassler") is a bit contentious, as there is a city in northern Hessen named "Kassel," where it is held that their city is the place of origin of the pork product. Others, however, have contended that the the name came from Berlin, where a butcher of that name, although perhaps with the spelling "Cassel," lived. The first part of German "Rippchen" is closely related to English "rib." **

Ingredients (4 servings):

For the dumplings:

1 cup flour (+ more for kneading and forming)
1/2 packet quick rising yeast
1/2 cup warmed milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 stick butter, flaked
1 egg

For the sauerkraut:

1 onion
2 cloves garlic 
2 tablespoons canola oil (in older times, lard was used)
1 1/2 pounds sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
2 juniper berries (optional, if using, crush them a bit)***
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 smoked pork chops

In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. In a cup, add the slightly warmed milk (not hot!), sprinkle on the yeast and the sugar; allow to foam. Pour the milk and yeast into the flour, add the egg and butter flakes. Mix well, cover loosely with a towel or paper towel, let sit for about 30-35 minutes.

In a pan large enough to hold everything (preferably with a lid, although foil can be used as a cover), heat the canola oil over medium heat, then add the onion. Cook until the onion begins to soften, then add the garlic, cook no longer than about another minute, so as not to burn the garlic. Drain and rinse the sauerkraut, add it to the pan, then add the sugar and juniper berries (if using). Then stir in the stock, stir well, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Remove the sauerkraut from the heat. Knead the dumpling mixture for a few minutes, adding extra flour, if needed, to make sure the dough is not wet or sticky. Form the dough into four equal size dumplings. Place the pork chops into the warm kraut in an upright or near upright position, leaving space between the chops. Into each of those spaces, place one dumpling. Cover the pan with a lid or use aluminum foil (cover tightly, or the dumplings might not rise properly, and even dry out). Into the oven the pan goes for about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven, the dumplings should have risen and spread out (see photo below).        

* For the history of the word "speed," here's the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2013/04/do-we-need-traffic-laws-ask-nra.html

** For the history of the word "rib," here is the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-last-of-sheila-great-whodunit.html

*** If you've never used juniper berries, they come from certain evergreen trees; thus, the "berries" are actually little "cones" from these trees, but they look a lot like blueberries, but dried. They are most famous for the flavor they give to gin (see Word History below). The German for "juniper berries" is "Wacholderbeeren."
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The sauerkraut goes in the bottom of the pan, and the pork chops are then stood on edge, or nearly so, with the dumplings wedged in between. I only fixed two chops, and if I had it to do over, I would have divided the dough to make three dumplings, by putting the third on the other side of one dumpling. This photo is of the cooked dish, just from the oven. Look at the pork chop in the second photo! Wow! Hessians might have a glass of apple wine with this dinner, as it is a specialty of Hessen, especially Frankfurt and vicinity, where the dialect term apple wine is "Ebbelwoi," with other similar dialect forms used elsewhere in Hessen. Of course, beer is always common with Germans, and white wine is also common.

WORD HISTORY:
Gin-The origin of this word is unknown, but it goes back to Latin "iuniperus," which meant "juniper" (the name of the tree). This gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "genevre," and Dutch borrowed the word from French as "genever." English borrowed the word circa 1400, but it began to be spelled "geneva," seemingly influenced by the name of the Swiss city, and then the word was shortened from this to "gin" in the early 1700s, as the name for the alcoholic drink flavored with juniper berries.