Grünkohl met Pinkel

Grünkohl met Pinkel is a classic from Northern Germany: hearty kale slowly braised with smoked sausage, bacon and the characteristic Pinkel-worst. Perfect for cold days and hungry tables.

📝 Ingredients

• 1.2 kg fresh kale (cleaned leaves)
• 2 Pinkel-worsten (or 2 smoked spicy pork sausages as an alternative)
• 1 smoked sausage
• 200 g smoked bacon, diced
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp coarse mustard
• 3 tbsp oats (as a binder)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 800 g waxy potatoes, cooked

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Wash the kale well, remove the tough stems and cut or tear the leaves into large pieces.Cut the smoked bacon into cubes. Peel and finely chop the onions.Heat the Dutch oven over medium heat and fry the bacon cubes until crispy. Scoop them out of the pan and set aside.Cook the onion in the rendered bacon fat until translucent, about 4 minutes.Add the kale to the pan in batches. Stir in between so the leaves wilt slightly before you add the next portion.Pour the stock over the kale. Add mustard, hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) or oats as a binder and stir well.Place the Pinkel-worst (or smoked sausages as an alternative) and the smoked sausage on top of the kale. Cover the pot and let everything simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours.Stir occasionally and add a splash of stock if it becomes too dry.Remove the sausages from the pot and slice them into thick rounds. Stir the bacon cubes through the kale.Season with salt, pepper and, if desired, an extra spoonful of coarse mustard. Serve the kale with the sausage, boiled potatoes and a dollop of mustard on the side.