Kassler is a popular pork dish in Germany and other parts of Europe, made from salted and sometimes smoked pork neck or loin. It is often served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and is a traditional holiday dish in German-American communities. The dish is prepared using traditional techniques such as smoking and salting, and is often seasoned with herbs and spices like garlic, thyme, and juniper berries.
Kassler is a certain type of pork dish that is popular in Germany and other parts of the surrounding European region. The dish which is called Kassler consists of a cut of pork which is usually salted and sometimes smoked. It is often served with additional side items or side dishes.
The meat used for Kassler is often a pork neck or loin. Other cuts of meat for this dish include pork shoulder or a similar item. For those who don’t eat pork, chicken is sometimes sold prepared this way.
One of Kassler’s most popular presentations is served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. This represents a common German holiday treat or dish that migrated to America and other parts of the world. In German-American communities, pork and sauerkraut are a traditional holiday dish for the New Year. The pork used in these recipes may or may not be as cured as Kassler’s, but some think the dish helped reinforce the idea of serving pork with these side dishes at holiday meals.
Kassler’s popularity in parts of Europe is a prime example of how older companies have approached food safety in using heavier meats such as pork. Curing and smoking meat is a very traditional way of preserving it, where, in contrast, modern food service methods often include very different preservation techniques, from freezing and canning, to vacuum sealing. Some see Kassler as a “primitive” meat cook using a number of old-fashioned cooking techniques. For others, that’s part of the allure of this and similar dishes.
A traditional technique is to smoke the meat over beech or alder wood. Pork may also be salted in some recipes. Experts in preparing this dish can advise removing the fat to make the whole dish leaner. Kassler takes a long time to prepare and is considered a delicacy in the areas where it originated.
In addition to using cuts of pork, many of the cooks who prepare this dish regularly add specific herbs and seasonings to complement the smoky or cured taste. These include garlic, but also thyme, coriander, sage and even other elements with an exotic flavor such as juniper berries. Some of these herbs and spices add a distinctively traditional flavor to the meat dishes that families serve at Christmas, New Year’s, or other holidays.
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