Sauerkraut
Growing up my mom made sauerkraut for her and my dad, I never really tried it. I just knew it was from our German roots and it had a different smell to me. I never tried it, that is until I worked in the kitchen at Judd’s Red Derby. There I fell in love with sauerkraut. I can’t remember how we made it, that was 40 years ago, but I remember carrots and maybe something sweet. So I decided to put my mom’s recipe to the test and add a little twist. I hope you like it.
Ingredients
1 jar (or bag) of sauerkraut (with or without caraway), drained
1 1/2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb pork (country ribs, fresh polish sausage, pork chops, ribs, pork shoulder)
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1 large carrot, sliced
Brown sugar (optional)
salt and pepper
Method
In a saute pan with a lid, swirl the oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper the meat. Brown the meat in the pan, turning to sear all sides. Remove the meat from the pan, saute the carrots until they start to soften. Add in the drained kraut, oats, apple sauce and water. Stir to combine. Nestle the meat into the kraut. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, turning the meat after 30 minutes. Cook until the meat is tender. Taste for seasoning. Adjust by adding salt, pepper and brown sugar if needed. Enjoy!
