KOLOZSVÁRI RAKOTT KAPOSZTA
3 tablespoons bacon fat or cooking oil
½ cup chopped onions
1 pound ground pork
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
fresh ground black pepper
¼ pound smoked bacon, cut into ¼” strips
½ pound Hungarian or other smoked sausage, cut into ¼” slices
¼ cup white rice
2 pounds sauerkraut
1 cup sour cream
Heat the bacon fat or oil in a heavy skillet and sauté the onions until they start to wilt. Add the pork and brown it thoroughly. Stir in the garlic, salt, paprika, and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. In another frying pan, cook the bacon until it starts to render fat. Add the sausage slices and cook 5 minutes or until the bacon starts to brown. Parboil the rice for 10 minutes, then drain. Preheat the oven to 325º. Grease a deep 2 or 3 quart baking dish. Rinse the sauerkraut and squeeze it dry. Spread a third of it on the bottom. Put in all the bacon and sausage mixture, including the pan fat. Spread another third of the sauerkraut over this, and dot it with 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Sprinkle with rice. Add the pork mixture with all its pan juices. Cover with the remaining sauerkraut. Pour 1 cup of water into the pork skillet, swish it around, and pour it over the kraut. Then spread the rest of the sour cream on top. Place in the center of the oven and bake, uncovered, for 1 ½ hours, or until the food shrinks away from the sides of the dish and the sour-cream topping turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes. Tastes better reheated. Serve directly from the casserole and pass a bowl of sour cream for those who care to add a dollop.