Dear Foodvagabonds,
Back in Dortmund the weather is not very promising. It´s freezing, windy with a cloudy sky and people are ready for springtime. Fortunately Dortmund has a huge Artist community that is transforming grey walls into colorful murals all over the city. I love it! Weather remains grey though. This is actually the perfect weather to cook up some hearty food with friends after work. I was really looking forward to meet up with my good friend Thomas. The last time we met we agreed that he will cook a traditional german classical dish:
Grünkohl with Kassler & Pinkel
Kale with smoked porc chop,bacon and Pinkel ( a smoked sausage from Northwest Germany)
„Grünkohlessen“ literally means „ Kale -Eating“ and it is a tradition in Germany. Depending on the region it is almost a rite to wait for the first frost in autum to enjoy the best Kale at it´s best. The reason for that is that the Kale is not bitter at time. There is also an old custom, mainly in Northwestern Germany and around the city of Bremen which is called „ Kohlfahrt“ ( Kale-Tour). On a Kale tour Families and friends gather for a long walk into nature finally targeting a cozy tavern where the Kale dish is being served. On their way to the tavern they drink some liquer to warm up because these walks through the forest can be pretty long.
When i was back in Dortmund / Germany i had dinner with my friends Thomas and his wife Elaheh where we talked about what we could cook next. We do appreciate the old traditions but, hey, we wanna do it the Dortmund way 🙂 A bit more funky and adapted to the Zeitgeist.
Thomas and I do not only share the passion for cooking but also for HipHop, Soul, Funk,Blues and Rare Grooves. Thomas is very active on the turntables and his vinyl collection is divine. I could get lost in his tunes while browsing through Graffiti and Art Magazines on his couch. The problem is that we talk too much about music that we easily loose focus and forget about the stove 🙂 But i think we managed well. Here is another honest and local recipe from a real home:
This is my friend Thomas in his apartment in Dortmund
While the food was gently cooking Thomas was spinning the turntables
Moving to the kicthen : A view from the kitchen window.
Thomas created a beautiful kale dish which i won´t forget that easily.
Have some taste of this day with him :
Ingredients you will need:
1tbsp of lard ( Schweineschmalz)
1 kg fresh Kale
1-2 Onions, diced
2tbsp English Mustard
Salt & Pepper for seasoning
Smoked Sausages such as Pinkel ( as many as you like)
Smoked Bacon, diced
smoked porc chop
a handful of fresh oats, optional
approx. 500 ml veg or chicken stock
As a side dish:
Boiled potatos or fried potatos
How to cook this dish:
1.After you have prepared your Veg and it´s all chopped up charamelize the diced Onions in the lard until they get some color.
2. Add the fresh oats (this is optional, if you like the liquid do not use it) followed by a pinch of salt and a bit of sugar as well. It helps charamelizing. The oat thickens the dish.
3.Now add the chopped Kale the stir for 5 minutes. Give it a good seasoning with ground black or white pepper. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes.
4. It is time to add the veg stock or the chicken stock to the pot. Give it a good stir and add the mustard also.
5. Next place the sausage and the rest of the meat into the pot as well. It is totally up to you if you want it chopped or whole. We chopped it up but for decoration purposes it is nice to leave a sausage or the porc chop whole.
7. Now let the whole thing cook on a medium heat for 90 minutes or even 2 hours with a lid on. Stir occasionally to prevent it from burning at the bottom. Done! After 2 hours do the final seaoning if needed. Maybe more mustard? More pepper? Check it out! You will taste what it needs.
Meanwhile have some good talks with your friends and get excited about the simmering Kale, that to be honest is going to smells incredible 🙂
20 Minutes before the kale is done start boiling the peeled potatos with a good amount of salt. You can also leave the peel during cooking and remove it afterwards. This keeps the vitamins inside the potatos and it tastes yummy as well.
You are ready to serve the dish !!
Play some good old Motown tunes and have a bottle of your favorite beer.
Here are some more impressions of the neighbourhood where Thomas and Elaheh live in Dortmund Kreuzviertel. Enjoy!
There is lots of streetart and Graffiti in Dortmund. The Kreuzviertel is a nice part of the city with its great cafes, pubs, art galleries and bookstores. If you ever visit Dortmund make sure you spend a day here
Last but not least i have a request:
If you have the time please also check out my Non Profit Organization“ A Bowl of Compassion“ in Bodhgaya India. I have established the organization in 2008 and we currently run 2 primary schools and a soupkitchen.
If you know anyone who could be interested in sponsoring a child, please get in touch with me at: mail@bowlofcompassion.org
A Sponsorship costs 5 Euros per month and this covers food and education for 1 child.
You can see a Video about the Project in the –About- section. I would appreciate your help a lot.
Thank you 🙂 <3 and see you for the next recipe
