Although I like that sharp bite of unaltered sauerkraut, I would much rather bring more people into the pro-sauerkraut fold. Enter this savior of a recipe!
New Year’s food traditions are endlessly fascinating to me. American southerners love digging into a plate of Hoppin’ John (black-eyed peas, rice and smoked ham), Americans of Chinese descent often slurp up a bowl of New Year’s “longevity” noodles, while here in Pennsylvania, as well as most of the Midwest, the traditional New Year’s meal almost always includes pork, often with sauerkraut.
The pork and sauerkraut tradition, at least here in Pennsylvania, is thought to have originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch (actually a corruption of Deutsch, meaning German) who emigrated to Pennsylvania from the late 17th through the early 19th centuries. The tradition was further reinforced by the wave of eastern European immigrants who arrived in the late 19th through the early 20th century to work in Pennsylvania coal mines and steel mills. Given that sauerkraut is usually made in the early fall, when the last of the cabbage crop is ready, and it also requires 6-8 weeks of fermentation, the timing of this New Years sauerkraut food tradition makes perfect sense!
Me and my Dad back in 2008. He LOVED sauerkraut!!! Few things brought him more joy than coming up to visit me here in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, and making the trek to our county’s little Amish enclave of Smicksburg. We’d always go to the Smicksburg Country Store on Rt. 954 to stock up on their massive jars of homemade sauerkraut. My Dad passed away unexpectedly on October 28, 2017 at the age of 80. I think of him with much love, every time I make this dish.
Having lived in western Pennsylvania for all of my 50+ years, I’ve observed that the firmly-entrenched pork and sauerkraut New Year’s tradition seems to inspire in people one of two reactions: excited anticipation or contemptuous ire. While I’ve always been one of the excited, yay-for-sauerkraut folk, I truly sympathize with the sauerkraut-haters because, well, sauerkraut can be mouth-puckeringly sour! In fact, most of my life, before I had much cooking experience under my belt, most pork and sauerkraut meals (which here in western Pennsylvania also usually include kielbasa sausage) had a decided bite, that can be off-putting to many palates.
Although I like that sharp bite of unaltered sauerkraut, I would much rather bring more people into the pro-sauerkraut fold. Enter this savior of a recipe! I discovered it about seven years ago while obsessively searching the internet for a milder, more palatable pork and sauerkraut recipe. This recipe gem comes from the kitchenware retailer, Williams-Sonoma (click here for the original Pork Roast With Sauerkraut, Apples, & Onions recipe), and it is the best of the best! It produces a succulently tender pork roast, nestled in a richly-flavored, savory-sweet accompaniment of white wine-braised sauerkraut seasoned with apples, onions, brown sugar, fresh thyme and caraway seeds. I’ve made a few alterations to the recipe, mostly to increase the ratio of sauerkraut-to-pork and also to add some convenience. Whether you’re a bona fide sauerkraut-lover or a certifiable sauerkraut hater, I hope you’ll give this fantastic recipe a try for your next New Year’s celebration!
Pork Roast With Apples, Onions & Sauerkraut
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt roast, 4 to 5 lb.
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. canola oil
2 yellow onions, halved length-wise & thinly sliced
5 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 Tbs. fresh thyme (stripped off 5-6 sprigs)
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or dry vermouth
3-4 lb. sauerkraut, squeezed dry
1/3-1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
1 Tbs. caraway seeds
Preparation
Lay the pork on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, trim away any large pockets of fat. If the roasts seems loose, securely tie the roll at regular intervals with kitchen twine. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the canola oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently, until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a platter.
Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the onion, apples and thyme, and sauté until the onion and apples are softened and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the apple mixture to a bowl.
Pour off the fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour over apple and onion mixture in bowl.
Oven method: Preheat an oven to 325°F. Cover the bottom of a large Dutch oven with the squeezed-dry sauerkraut. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and caraway seeds. Place the pork on top and surround with the apple-wine mixture. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the pork is fork-tender and shreds easily, 4 to 5 hours.
Slow-cooker method: Cover the bottom of a slow cooker with the sauerkraut. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and caraway seeds. Place the pork on top and surround with the apple-wine mixture. Cover and cook on low according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the pork is fork-tender and shreds easily, 8 to 10 hours.
Transfer the pork to a carving board. Using a sharp knife, cut the pork crosswise into slices about 1/2 inch thick, removing the twine as you slice. Pork will likely be so falling-apart tender that you can also just easily remove portioned hunks. Place the sauerkraut on a large platter and top with the pork slices. Surround with the apples and serve immediately. A few springs of fresh thyme make a nice garnish!
– P. S. –
This recipe makes exceptionally delicious leftovers! I always serve the original meal with mashed potatoes and green beans, and make enough potatoes to ensure that there are leftovers. For leftovers, I reheat the pork and sauerkraut in a skillet with a little white wine. The BEST part of the leftover meal is the mashed potato patties! Shape the leftover mashed potatoes into patties (it really helps if they are nice and cold from the fridge), lightly dust with flour and using a non-stick skillet, pan-fry in butter, carefully flipping with a small spatula. In my opinion, this is mashed potatoes at the most delectably delicious!
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ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STACEY UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED.
