The combination of sauerkraut, juniper, and fruity wine is a divine one. You might as well use a German wine to be completely consistent. Best with pork, like Baeckoffe (page 399).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons lard or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed

　　1 onion, sliced

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed with the side of a knife

　　1 cup Gewürztraminer or Riesling, not too dry

　　Freshly ground black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Heat the lard in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the sauerkraut and onion and toss until the onion begins to wilt, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the pepper, stir, and cook until some of the wine bubbles away, a minute or two.

　　

Step 2

Cover, lower the heat, and cook until the sauerkraut is tender, about 30 minutes. Add a good grinding of black pepper and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.