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1
Place the sauerkraut in a large bowl and cover with cold water.
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2
Let stand for 20 minutes.
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3
Drain, wash, and taste.
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4
If still too briny, repeat once or twice more as necessary and drain well, squeezing out the sauerkraut a handful at a time.
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5
Fluff the sauerkraut strands and reserve.
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6
Preheat the oven to 325F.
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7
In a heavy 5-quart nonreactive pot, melt the goose fat over medium heat.
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8
Add the onions and garlic and saute for 10 minutes until the onions are translucent.
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9
Add the stock, 1 cup of the wine, gin, and apple.
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10
Bring to a simmer.
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11
Add the sauerkraut and stir in the caraway, thyme, salt, and pepper.
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12
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 30 minutes.
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13
While the sauerkraut is cooking, place the sausage in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
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14
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their size, Remove and set aside in the water.
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15
Place the smoked bacon in a shallow saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the smoke and salt flavors.
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16
Drain.
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17
When cool enough to handle, slice the bacon away from the rind and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
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18
Transfer half of the sauerkraut mixture to a large ovenproof casserole.
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19
Add the sausages, wursts, and smoked pork chops and cover with the remaining sauerkraut.
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20
Bury some of the bacon slices into the sauerkraut and place the remainder on top.
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21
Pour in the remaining wine and bake for 1 hour until most of the liquid has evaporated.
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22
Sprinkle with the parsley.
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23
Serve directly from the casserole or make an arrangement on a large platter.
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24
Serve with parsleyed boiled potatoes, rye bread, and a variety of mustards.
