One of my favorite "Oma Recipes" is one I've actually learned, second-hand, through my mother: Schweinebraten and Knodel (translated: Pork and dumplings).
When I moved back to Milwaukee in 2003 and was living with my Oma (my great-grandmother), one of my duties was to get her to church on Sunday mornings. Needless to say, as a man in his early-to-mid-20s, I wasn't always in the best of shape when the alarm went off and it was time to drag my carcass off the bed and out to church.
But, as I did my best to scrub off the previous evening's filth (and shame), I'd catch a whiff of something delightful coming from Oma's kitchen. With my tastebuds already triggered, I didn't mind sitting through Mass because I knew that my favorite dish was waiting for me at home.
Everybody in my family has a slightly different variation of the recipe below, but for the most part, it's all the same idea. While I enjoyed my mom's version growing up, my grandfather still makes the best dumplings and nobody comes close to creating as flavorful a roast as Oma.
Pork & Dumplings wasn't specifically a special-occasion meal in my house growing up, but nobody needed to ask what dish I wanted for my birthday. It was a no-brainer every time.
When I hosted my first "grown-up" dinner party (an at-home, black-tie New Year's Dinner), I made the dumplings for the first time to go along with some pork tenderloin. A few days later, I went the distance while having my mother, sister and then-significant other over for a Christmas Dinner. I'd like to think I've come a long way since those early attempts.
Here's the recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Schweinebraten (Pork Roast)
Ingredients
- 3-5-pound pork roast (the loin works best, but for some reason, I'm partial to shoulder roasts)
- 1 medium onion
garlic powder - Salt
- Pepper
Preparation & Cooking
- Wash meat and sprinkle, lighly, with garlic powder, salt, pepper and additional seasonings.
- Place meat in roasting pan, adding just a bit of water to keep meat from burning.
Slice onion and place slices on and around meat. - Place in 350-degree oven, cooking about 30 minutes per pound of meat
- Remove when done, allowing meat to cool for a few minutes before placing on a serving dish.
(For gravy, place roasting pan on burner. Add ½-cup water to juice and bring to boil. In a separate bowl, mix a little flour or cornstarch and a small amount of water into a paste. Pour into boiling water and stir well to break up lumps. You can add some beef broth or bouillion -- or even a brown gravy packet - to add some more flavor).
Brotknodel (Bread Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of white sandwich bread
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 cup of warm water
Preparation & Cooking
- Rip each slice of bread into little pieces.
- In a large pot or bowl, sprinkle parsley and salt of bread pieces.
- Add eggs to mixture, along with a small amount of water.
By hand, mix until all pieces are moist and mixture is firm (adding small amounts of water, if necessary). - Grab handful of mixture, rolling into small billiard-sized dumplings. (Note: make sure your dumplings are tightly-rolled, or they may break apart when cooking)
- Bring large pot of water to boil.
- Add dumplings, boil slowly for about 15-20 minutes, or until dumplings float to top.
If dumplings aren't your thing, you can always try substituting spatzle, rice or potatoes as a side dish. What I've always enjoyed most about Oma's cooking is her ability to improvise with what she has in her kitchen at the time.
Give this recipe a shot next time you and the family are stumped for an evening dinner. If you have your own suggestions, there's always the Talkback feature below.
