Liver and Pork Dumplings and Sauerkraut

Recipe No. 353 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Pork cuts, bone-in — 14 pounds
• or — as needed
• Pork, boneless — 10 pounds
• Liver — 20 pounds
• Bread, sliced — 8 pounds
• Water — as needed
• Onions, chopped — 5 pounds (5 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 6 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
• Pepper — ½ ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Parsley, chopped — as needed

Nutmeg (optional) — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)

• Eggs, slightly beaten — 30 eggs (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — as needed
• Bay leaves (optional) — as needed
• Sauerkraut, hot — 3 No. 10 cans

Directions

1. Cut pork into cubes.
2. Place pork and liver in separate utensils. Barely cover each with water.
3. Heat each to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until done. Drain and reserve pork stock.
4. Grind pork and liver together.
5. Soak bread in water; press and discard water. Chop soaked bread.
6. Combine bread, ground meat, onions, salt, pepper, parsley, and nutmeg. Add beaten egg; mix thoroughly.
7. Heat pork stock to boiling point; add salt and bay leaves.
8. Drop pork and liver dumplings from spoon into boiling stock; simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Serve on bed of hot sauerkraut.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Pork cuts, bone-in — 1 lb 2 oz or — to taste Pork, boneless — 12¾ oz Liver — 1 lb 9⅔ oz Bread, sliced — 10¼ oz Water — to taste Onions, chopped — 6⅓ oz Salt — ½ oz Pepper — a pinch Parsley, chopped — to taste Nutmeg (optional) — a pinch Eggs, slightly beaten — 2⅓ eggs Salt — to taste Bay leaves (optional) — to taste Sauerkraut, hot — 3 cups

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 353, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.