Feb 17, 2011
Great recipe with good ratios. I ate sauerkraut balls like crazy growing up in Ohio and LOVED them. Never even thought to make them before until a recent ball-themed snack party.
I tried variations of this recipe and determined that you can substitute about a clove or so of garlic for the garlic salt (this dish doesn't need any extra salt). Definitely WASH the kraut and drain well, even squeezing out the excess water with your hands. Careful on the amounts of onion and garlic as both can overpower the taste of the balls. I added about a teaspoon each of fresh thyme and oregano at the end of cooking the sausage and added a T or two of fresh Italian parsley before mixing up the balls. Caraway seeds are a good addition too.
Chilling the mixture in the freezer for 15 min. before balling makes it so much easier. Used buttermilk in the coating for extra flavor. Did half with Panko instead of crumbs but you could barely tell the difference, both in look and taste. Frying was key to a crispy coating but these reheat very well in a hot oven or toaster oven.
—CharlieInSF
