Kapusta
Kapusta is a winter dish my mom made growing up when one of us was feeling sick. It always made me feel better. Not surprisingly, as the main ingredient is cabbage which is high in antioxidants, an extremely good source of B vitamins, vitamin K and C and has anti-inflammatory properties. The stew also contains barley, another nutritional powerhouse, it has many of the same nutrients and is high in fiber.
Deb's version is more of a stew than the traditional Polish Kapusta, which I have learned is more of a saurkraut than a soup. Either way, I have grown up calling it Kapusta.
I consider myself a vegetarian but will eat meat if it is happy, local, or if the recipe is particularly delicious. Luckily I have found the most amazing meat market, The Meat Hook, which meets all of my standards for meet consumption. The meat is happy, local and extremely fresh. They do much of the butchering themselves and you can count on the quality being top notch. Finally, Kapusta has come back into my life and to be honest, I can't get enough of it!
INGREDIENTS:
1 large bone-in pork chop
1 large head of green cabbage
1 cup pearl barley
1 large jar of saurkraut
3 tbs butter
4 tbs all purpose flour
juice from half a lemon
Wash the pork and place into a large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit and simmer until the meat is cooked through and falls off the bone. Meanwhile, thinly slice the cabbage and place into a pot with about a half inch of water. Steam until the cabbage turns bright green. Drain and set aside.
Remove pork from pot and set aside to cool. Strain the broth twice through a fine strainer to be sure to separate any bone or fatty bits. Place the pot back on the stove, add the cooked cabbage, saurkraut, and barley and simmer until the barley has cooked.
While the barley cooks, heat the butter in a small pan and whisk the flour in until it creates a thick paste then mix it into the stew. Once the pork has cooled, break into small bits and add to the stew. Add the juice from a half a lemon and stir.
This is dish that tastes best the next day or even two days after being made. I highly recommend enjoying the stew with a hunk of sourdough rye.