Beef Stew with Sauerkraut and Sausage - Slow Cooker

[Olga Drozd]

Beef Stew with Sauerkraut and Sausage - Slow Cooker:

Serve this robust steaming stew with plenty of mashed potatoes to soak up the tasty sauce, and pass dark rye bread and sour cream at the table.

4 slices bacon
2 pounds stewing beef, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes and patted dry (1 kg)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
4 juniper berries OR 2 Tablespoons gin
1 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup beef stock
4 cups sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices (remove casing from sausage)
Sour cream

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp.  Drain thoroughly on paper towel and crumble.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Drain all but 2 Tablespoons fat from pan.

Add beef, in batches, and cook, stirring, adding bacon fat if necessary, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per batch.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.

Reduce heat to medium.  Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic, caraway seeds, salt, peppercorns and juniper berries.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add wine and stock, bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens.  Stir in sauerkraut.

Add mixture to slow cooker stoneware.  Stir to combine.  Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until beef is very tender.  Stir in sausage and reserved bacon.  Cover and cook on High for 15 minutes, until sausage is heated through.  Pass the sour cream at the table. Serves 6.

*TIP: Juniper is the predominant aroma in gin, which makes the spirit and acceptable substitute in this stew.  Add along with the wine.

*TIP:  For best results, it's important to rinse sauerkraut thoroughly in several changes of water to reduce the bitter vinegar taste.  Soak it overnight in cold water, then soak and rinse twice, squeeze dry to remove water  before adding to the recipe.