A groaning platter of smoked and salted pork, beef, bacon and sausages piled over juniper-scented sauerkraut and dried beans, ringed with boiled potatoes. A festive Bernese feast meant for sharing.
A traditional dish of Bernese cuisine, said to commemorate the Bernese victory over the French at Neuenegg on 5 March 1798.
A meat-lover's plateful: smoky ham, silky bacon, and snappy sausage each taste distinct, never muddled. The tart, juniper-spiked sauerkraut cuts the richness, and earthy beans and potatoes soak up every savory juice.
Each cured meat is poached separately so its salt and smoke stay distinct rather than blending, while the acidic sauerkraut balances the heavy, fatty pork and beef on the plate.
Variations
Inclusion of pork ears, tails or tongue, smoked beef brisket, Bernese Zungenwurst, green beans in place of dried, regional family additions
On the Palate
Where Berner Platte (Bernese Platter) sits in the Swiss flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
8 steps · 40 min
- 110 min
Rinse the smoked and salted meats and place the firmer cuts in a large pot of fresh water.
- 290 min
Bring to a simmer and gently poach the meats, adding quicker-cooking pieces in stages.
Watch outKeep the water at a bare shiver, never a hard boil — a rolling boil toughens the cured meats and clouds the broth.
- 345 min
In a separate pot, simmer sauerkraut with juniper berries, bay and a little stock.
- 460 min
Soak and simmer dried beans until tender in lightly salted water.
- 525 min
Boil peeled potatoes until just done and keep warm.
Watch outPull the potatoes the moment a knife slips in cleanly — left too long they fall apart into the water.
- 610 min
Warm the cooked sausages and bacon through in the meat broth near the end.
- 75 min
Pile the drained sauerkraut and beans onto a large warmed platter.
- 88 min
Arrange all the sliced meats and potatoes on top and serve with mustard.
