Sauerkraut and Weiners

4-6 slices smoked, fatty, bacon
1 small onion
1/2 quart sauerkraut
1 cube chicken bullion or 1/2 can chicken broth
2 bottles beer
4 jumbo hot dogs or bratwurst wieners

• Chop bacon and place in a large saucepan over medium heat to fry, stirring occasionally until bacon browns.
• While bacon is cooking, chop or slice onion and add to almost-browned bacon, stirring till onions are soft and translucent.
• Cut wieners into bite-sized pieces and add to bacon/onion mixture to lightly saute.

• Rinse and drain sauerkraut (to cut back on the salt and brine flavor) in a colander before adding to bacon/onion/wiener mixture to heat through.
• Pour in one can of beer, sprinkle with black pepper to taste and bring to a boil.  Then, lower heat and simmer 30-45 minutes or until kraut is tender and most of liquid has evaporated.  (If liquid reduces too much, add more chicken broth.)
• Taste to see if there is too much 'whang' to the kraut.  If so, add a tablespoon of brown sugar.

Serve with mashed potatoes. 

*You may be wondering why the recipe calls for two cans of beer.  The other one is for you to drink while this is cooking to help dull the smell of the kraut!

Let me just say that this is NOT one of my favorite concoctions!  I prepared it for my sweet husband because I love him so much and he has requested it several times.  My nieces prepared and canned the kraut that I used in my dish and advised me on how to make the dish.  (Of course, I had to add my own little flourish!)  Megan said that she likes to eat the kraut on a sandwich prepared like a grilled cheese.  (I'm sure it is something like a Reuben without the corned beef from her description.)  I did enjoy the mashed potatoes - with some left-over roast beef! 

For an additional little story about Kraut and Wieners, click HERE.