Pig Ends with Sauerkraut and Dumplings

Recipe No. 337 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

• Pig ends (feet, tails, ears, etc.) — 60 pounds
• Water or soup stock — as needed
• Salt — as needed
• Pepper — as needed
• Sauerkraut — 7 No. 10 cans
• Flour, sifted — 4 pounds (4 No. 56 dippers)
• Baking powder — 3½ ounces (9⅓ mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 5 ounces (10 mess kit spoons)
• Nutmeg (optional) — as needed
• Milk, evaporated — 3—14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 1¼ quarts (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Eggs, beaten — 20 eggs (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Fat — 8 ounces (¼ No. 56 dipper)

Directions

Key ingredients

Baking Soda & Baking Powder · Evaporated Milk

1. Clean pig ends; scrape and wash thoroughly.
2. Cover with water or soup stock; add salt and pepper.
3. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer slowly about 2½ to 3 hours or until tender.
4. Add sauerkraut.
5. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together.
6. Mix milk and water. Add beaten egg and fat; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir until smooth*.
7. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto hot meat and sauerkraut 20 minutes before serving. Cover tightly and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Pig ends (feet, tails, ears, etc.) — 4 lb 12¾ oz Water or soup stock — to taste Salt — to taste Pepper — to taste Sauerkraut — 1¾ qt Flour, sifted — 5 oz Baking powder — about 1⅔ tsp Salt — ⅓ oz Nutmeg (optional) — to taste Milk, evaporated — ½ can (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 6⅓ tbsp Eggs, beaten — 1⅔ eggs Fat — ⅔ oz

If necessary, more flour or liquid may be added to make batter of right consistency to drop from spoon.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 337, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints. NOTE: a quantity on the scanned page was unclear — check the PDF in the Reference Library.