Choucroute Garnie

3 pounds sauerkraut
1/2 pound chunk bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
10 juniper berries (or 1/4 cup gin)
1 1/2 cups beef bouillon
3/4 cup water
1 cup dry white wine
salt
1 2 to 3 pound smoked pork butt
1 kielbasa
4 knockwurst
3 smoked bratwurst
3 unsmoked veal sausages
Drain the sauerkraut. Place in a large bowl and cover with cold
water. Soak for 20 minutes, changing the water twice. Drain again.
Then take up large handfuls and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Set aside.
Remove the rind from the bacon and cut into strips about two inches
long and one half inch wide. Blanch bacon by placing in a saucepan
and covering with two quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, then
simmer 10 minutes. Drain. Melt the butter in a two and one half or
three quart casserole.
Add the blanched bacon, carrots and onion and cook slowly, covered,
for 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown. Stir in the
sauerkraut, breaking up any clumps in it. Cover and cook on top of
the range slowly for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325F. Tie the
parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries in cheesecloth,
and bury them in the sauerkraut. Pour in the bouillon, water, wine
and gin if you are using it. Add salt to taste. Continue cooking on
top of hte stove until it comes to a boil, then place in the oven and
cook, covered, for 4 hours. Check now and then to be sure the
sauerkraut is not too dry. If all the liquid has cooked away, add a
little more bouillon or wine. The sauerkraut should just bubble.
Start the meat two and one half hours before serving. Place the pork
butt in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the
heat and simmer, covered, two hours. Start the sausages one hour
before serving time. Place the kielbasa in a large pot with cold
water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Add the knockwurst and smoked bratwurst to the kielbasa pot. Bring to
a boil again, the simmer 10 minutes. Add the veal sausages and simmer
5 minutes longer. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes more.
Remove the herb bouquet before transferring the choucroute to a
platter.