Pork Roast and Sauerkraut
Pork roast slow roasted with Sauerkraut in a dutch over. Cooks for hours and smells up the house wonderfully on a cold winter day
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven 6 qt, oven safe, and preferrably cast iron or similar material that allows for even heat distribution
Ingredients
- 1 4 - 5 lb Pork loin roast Bone-in is optional, but not lean (e.g,. tenderloin,, etc.)
- 2 lb Sauerkraut
- 1 T Caraway seeds optional
- 1 c Yellow onion chopped
- 1 Apple Optional. If used, sweet, pealed, chopped
- ½ c Brown sugar
- 1 t Kosher salt
- 1 t Black pepper
- ½ t Smoked paprika
- 1 c water If needed
- 2 T Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F for middle rack
- Pat roast drop and coat entire roast with salt, pepper, paprika.1 4 - 5 lb Pork loin roast, 1 t Kosher salt, 1 t Black pepper, ½ t Smoked paprika
- Heat large pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Place roast in pan when the oil starts simmer. Sear on all sides. 5 - 8 minutes per side until browned a light crust is on the meat. Note that the roast should still be raw when finished2 T Oil
- Place sauerkraut in the bottom of dutch oven. Add oniums, brown sugar, caraway seeds, apple. Place seared roast on top and add water (if needed) so that there is approximately 1 cup of liquid. The full cup will be needed if you drained the sauerkraut. You may not need any water depending on how much liquid is contained in the sauerkraut2 lb Sauerkraut, 1 T Caraway seeds, 1 c Yellow onion, 1 Apple, ½ c Brown sugar, 1 c water
- Place lid on dutch oven and/or cover with foil, ensuring that the dutch oven is covered tightly. Roast in oven until meat reaches an internal temperature of 145° - 150°F. Approximately 2 hours.
- Remove roast from the dutch over, place it on a platter or cutting board, and cover loosely with foil, allowing to rest for 15 minutes
Notes
Background
My grandmother made pork and sauerkraut when I was growing up. This meal is about as simple it gets with the pork roast and sauerkraut slow roasting in dutch oven for hours. She seasoned it simply but well (primarily salt & pepper) and served it with mashed potatoes.
However, the truth is that many families of German decent made this type of meal throughout Maryland during the mid-twentieth century. This includes my great grandmother and my wife's family.
This recipe
I have to give credit to Lori Monte (The Kitchen Wisperer) for much of this recipe. Truth is that I had never been able to make this as well as my grandmother did; the recipe is simple, but I wasn't sure whether it should be cooked on the stovetop or in the oven, seared or not, and a few other finer points that rendered me unable make it like I remembered it without a starting point for the recipe.
Variations
My grandmother's recipe was super simple: Pork, sauerkraut, salt, and pepper. It truly doesn't need any more than that. However, Lori included additional ingredients, some of which I like and others I'm happier leaving on the sidelines. Here is a rundown:
- Onion - I frankly would likely have thought of this if I didn't know that my grandmother omitted it. Pungent when chopped but savory sweet when roasted, it is the perfect aromatic addition to this dish. Provides balance to the acidity of the sauerkraut
- Brown sugar - How do you like your sauerkraut? Have you ever had sauerkraut? This is a very pungent flavor that will definitely open your eyes. Moreover, it will be the amount of sour, tangy flavor will vary based upon the type of sauerkraut used (yes, there are many types), how it is packaged (can, jar, fresh in the refrigerator case), and whether you rinse it. I like it very sour and tangy, probably because I grew up with it that way. I also typically add pickled hot peppers at the table. Yet, my wife prefers is a bit milder, and the uninitiated may go running into the night. Brown sugar mellows things out by countering the the sour with sweet. A few notes here
- Using brown suger will not make the dish sweet. It actually can make it a bit bland
- I probably would not use brown sugar at tall, but my wife prefers it to be a bit civilized. We used the entire half cup, but will be cutting this in half in the future.
- Apples - A long time companion to pork and another neutralizer to Sauerkraut's acidity. Between the sweetness of the sugar and the counterbalance of the onions, I prefer to leave them out. Many people wouldn't think of this dish without them, so it is truly a dealers choice.
- Caraway seeds - Never had it in this dish and I don't really know how it would change the flavor profile. I'm not opposed and I will try it when I happen to have them available. I just cannot provide giudance. Would love to know what others think.