Grünkohl mit Pinkel

Rainer Sass’s Grünkohl mit Pinkel for NDR cooks the kale with onion, mustard, broth and meat pieces, prepares the Pinkel and Kohlwurst separately, roasts Kasseler neck and serves browned potatoes alongside. The recipe also recommends a separately fried Knipp side.

The fresh kale leaves are pulled from coarse stalks and stems, divided into bite-sized pieces and washed thoroughly. They blanch for three to four minutes in supplied boiling salted water, are quenched in supplied ice water and squeezed well. The onions are cut small and sweated in clarified butter, with powdered sugar stirred in until lightly caramelized. Medium-hot mustard is added and stirred through.

The kale enters the pot with the onions, and vegetable broth is poured in until the leaves stand about a third deep in liquid. Salt and generic pepper season it. Speck, ham skin and pork cheek lie on top; the pot is closed and simmers at medium heat for about ninety minutes. The meat pieces are turned, and more unqualified liquid may be added if needed.

The oven is preheated to 200 degrees. The Kasseler neck enters a roasting pot and cooks for about an hour, with the oven reduced to 180 degrees after thirty minutes. In the selected separate route, cooking water is heated and the Pinkel and Kohlwurst cook gently for about twenty to thirty minutes. The optional Knipp is divided into pieces, pressed lightly in a pan and browned over moderate heat.

The potatoes are peeled, boiled in salted water and left to cool. Their separate clarified butter heats in a pan; the potatoes are fried on all sides, lightly sugared and seasoned with a pinch of salt. The meat pieces are lifted from their cooking stages, and the kale is seasoned again with mustard, salt and sugar. Kale, sausages, portioned meats and potatoes are served together, with the optional Knipp.