Sous Vide Coppa and Sauerkraut

Fall is here. We made sauerkraut a while back. The weather cooling (I hope). A comforting dish of tender flavorful pork with soured cabbage and prunes makes sense. 

Impatient? Skip to the recipe.

I have a couple of posts about this cut that you can find by typing in “coppa” in the search box in the top right hand corner or, because I’m a nice guy you can find them here and here. I have been finding this cut a bit more regularly in stores but it is still not terribly common. The best way to get your own is to buy a pork butt (shoulder) piece that includes the coppa and cut your own. It really is simple and once you see it once, you cannot unsee the coppa in a pork shoulder if you know what I mean.

 This video here is a good reference for how to harvest it. Worst case, just get pork shoulder and slice pieces that are about 1.5 or 2 inches thick.

The process to cook it here is very simple with minimal seasoning. The keys are to salt the meat ahead of time. If at all possible give it a good 8 to 12 hours. If not, just a couple hours would be ok. Then cook it sous vide at 75C for 6 to 8 hours so that the meat is tender but not falling apart. It should cut like a steak. Note that if you use pieces from another part of the shoulder, you might need slightly longer cook time. Then the meat is patted dry and browned and crisped before serving. In any case use it as a template and take the flavor in whatever direction you like as I suggest in the recipe intro below.

The Sauerkraut with prunes is adapted from a Fergus Henderson recipe, the famed nose to tail chef/owner of St. John restaurants in the UK. It’s an excellent light, tart, sweet foil to the rich pork. It complements and does not overwhelm. It’s also delicious on top of good sausages in a bun.

Sous Vide Coppa Steak and Sauerkraut with Prunes

Coppa, sometimes called pork neck or collar, is a delicious cut taken from the upper shoulder of the pig. This is a great way to cook it and serve it like a steak. The sauerkraut goes great with the rich meat but you can use any side dish you like with it, from mashed potatoes to polenta or rice. Use this recipe as a template, so you can adjust the seasoning for the pork and take it in whatever direction you choose like soy + ginger + sugar or cumin + lime + garlic or fennel + garlic + olive oil + lemon.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, German

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 900 gr Coppa steaks, about1.5 inch thick or pork shoulder pieces
• 18 gr Salt about 1 Tbsp
• 1 Tbsp Black pepper
• 2 Rosemary sprigs fresh
• 2 Thyme sprigs fresh
• 2 Tbsp Lard or bacon fat, butter, or oil
• 2 Tbsp Sugar or Maple syrup

Sauerkraut with Prunes

• 1 Small onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Bay leaf
• 250 gr Chicken stock about 1 cup
• 325 gr Sauerkraut about 1.5 cups
• 5 Prunes Chopped into large pieces

Equipment

• Immersion circulator

Method

 

1. Salt the pork and season with the black pepper. Leave the pieces in the fridge overnight, or at least 3 hours.
2. Heat a water pot for sous vide with an immersion circulator to 75C.
3. Bag the pork in a sous vide safe bag (I use Foodsaver or Ziploc bags) along with the fat, herbs and sugar.
4. Cook the pork sous vide for 6 to 8 hours. The meat should be perfectly tender but not falling apart. This can be done days before, but the cooked pork needs to be rapidly chilled in an ice bath while still in the bag. Store it in the fridge for a week or the freezer for much longer.
5. When ready to serve, remove the pork from the bag. Reserve juices in case you want to add them to the sauerkraut later. Pat the pieces dry very well.
6. Heat a pan with some canola oil or lard over medium heat. Gently crisp the pork on all sides. Sprinkle some flaky salt on top.
7. Serve with the sauerkraut and prunes and if desired some boiled potatoes.

Sauerkraut with Prunes

1. In a small pot, sauté the onion in the butter with the bay leaf and season with a little salt. Do not let the onion get any color, about 5 minutes over medium low heat.
2. Add the stock and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Add the prunes and simmer for another 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and add the sauerkraut. Stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. If you reserved any of the pork cooking juices, you can use some of that to add additional flavor and saltiness to the sauerkraut too.