Braised Pork Belly Caraway Sauerkraut Potatoes Recipes

BRINED-AND-BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH CARAWAY

Steps:

• Two days before serving the pork, prepare the brine: In a large skillet over low heat, toast the caraway seeds. Cool and grind in a spice grinder. In a large plastic container, combine the caraway, fennel, peppercorns, coriander, salt, brown sugar, garlic, cider vinegar and 4 cups water. Add the pork, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. In a braising pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and 2 tablespoons toasted caraway seeds to the pan. Brown the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Return the pork to the pan, skin side up. Pour in the apple cider and enough broth to cover the meat by three-fourths. Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Cool the pork in its cooking liquid and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Scrape off and discard excess fat from the braising liquid. Remove the pork and discard loose gelatin. Cut the pork into serving pieces and place in a wide saute pan with a heatproof handle. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and reduce by about two-thirds, or until it lightly coats the back of a spoon; strain. Pour just enough liquid over the pork to submerge halfway. Sprinkle with the remaining caraway seeds, then place the pan in the oven and heat through, basting occasionally. Top pork with sauce and serve with braised cabbage, a recipe for which can be found at nytimes.com/magazine.

PORK AND SAUERKRAUT WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the sauerkraut, onion, apples, corn syrup, bay leaves, caraway and pepper. Spoon half into a 5-qt. slow cooker; top with potatoes. , Broil pork chops 6 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned; place over potatoes. Spoon remaining sauerkraut mixture over pork. , Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cook 4-5 hours longer or until meat is tender. Discard bay leaves.

EMERIL'S NEVER ENOUGH PORK BEER-BRAISED SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse briefly to remove some of the salt from the brine-don't rinse it too much, or you will lose a lot of the flavor. (Alternatively, if the sauerkraut is not excessively salty, use as is.) Press to release most of the excess liquid and set aside. In a large nonreactive skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until most of the fat is rendered, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and continue to cook until they are soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon-onion mixture to a nonreactive roasting pan or large ovenproof Dutch oven. Add the drained sauerkraut and toss to combine. Using a small piece of cheesecloth, make a bouquet garni with the thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries, and garlic and place in the baking dish. Add the ham hocks, chicken stock, and beer and stir to combine. Cover the casserole and bake, undisturbed, until ham hocks are mostly tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over high heat and brown the sausages on both sides. Set aside. Brown the pork chops and set aside.
• When the hocks are mostly tender, remove the casserole from the oven. Place the sausages on top of the sauerkraut. If the liquid has reduced to less than 2/3, add a bit more water. Cover the casserole and return it to the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the sausages are tender and heated through. Add the pork chops and press them into the sauerkraut. Cover and return to the oven and cook until pork chops are heated through and tender, about 30 minutes longer. Remove the casserole from the oven and discard the bouquet garni. Serve immediately, with each person receiving some of each of the sausages, part of a hock, part of a pork chop and some of the sauerkraut. Pass the mustard at the table.

TRADITIONAL SAUERKRAUT WITH CARAWAY

Steps:

• Weigh the shredded cabbage (as cabbages vary in size and weight) to ensure the salt to cabbage ratio is correct. The amount of salt you use should come to about 1.5-2.5%, but no more than 3%, of the cabbage weight.
• In a large bowl, mix and massage the salt through the cabbage thoroughly, making sure to distribute the salt evenly.
• Let it sit to sweat a bit-maybe 10 minutes. This is simply to make the next step easier. This is a good time to get your vessel cleaned and to rest up for the next stage.
• With your pounder, pound quite energetically for about 5-10 minutes, until the cabbage is dripping with its own salty water when you pick up a handful. This part is important as you need this liquid-it's your brine.
• You can also use the dough hook of a stand mixer to do the pounding part, which can speed things up somewhat. Don't let it run for too long though, only a few minutes. Using a mixer is easy and great for people who are doing this a lot and in large batches, but it takes quite a bit of the emotional release and fun out of it.
• Next, mix in the caraway seeds (if using).
• Put the mixture into the jar, packing it down tightly as you go using the pounder. Push down well, particularly at the end to coax out any more brine. You need the brine to cover the cabbage.
• Don't pack the cabbage all the way to the top; leave some headroom at the top of the jar to allow for a bit of growth and movement and, of course, the weight. You don't want the liquid touching the top of the lid, as it will end up spewing out of your air-lock or up out of your lid.
• Cover with a cabbage leaf (the follower), the weight and then your chosen lid or system.
• Depending on your ferment, you can start trying it as soon as you'd like, but the less you fiddle with it in the first 2 weeks, the better. It is ready when you think it is delicious. With the right system and temperature, you can leave it to ferment for months before refrigeration.
• If you used a crock, you'll need to decant the kraut to smaller jars before you refrigerate, unless you have a walk-in cool room, or large cellar. (Lucky you.) It will keep in the fridge for 12 months or more. Use your senses.

SLOW COOKER GERMAN-STYLE PORK ROAST WITH SAUERKRAUT AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Place the potatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper in a slow cooker; stir to coat. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper; lay atop the potatoes. Pour the sauerkraut over the roast; sprinkle with caraway seeds.
• Cook in slow cooker on Low 8 to 10 hours.

BEER BRAISED PORK KNUCKLES WITH CARAWAY, GARLIC, APPLES AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the salt and caraway seeds into a bowl, mince or grate in the garlic, and stir to combine. Add the pork knuckles and rub them well with the caraway mixture, getting it into the slits in the rind where it was scored.
• Peel the onions and slice them into rounds and add them to the bottom of a roasting tin, making a bed or platform. Sit the knuckles on top of the onions and cook them for 30 minutes.
• Take the tin out of the oven and quickly arrange the apples and potatoes around the knuckles. Carefully pour 1 cup of the beer over the knuckles, so they are basted as the liquid pours into the tin. Put the pan back into the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for 2 hours.
• Turn the oven up again to 425 degrees F, and baste the hocks with the remaining beer. Roast for 30 minutes more.
• Remove the tin from the oven and transfer the apples and potatoes to a warmed serving dish. Lift the knuckles onto a carving board and leave the onion and juices in the tin. Put the tin on the stove over medium heat and add 2 cups boiling water, stirring to deglaze the pan to make a gravy. Transfer the gravy to a serving bowl.
• Take the crackling off the knuckles and break it into pieces, then add them to a serving bowl. Pull or carve the pork meat and add it to the bowl with the crackling. Serve with the apples, potatoes, gravy and some German mustard.
• Make Ahead Note:
• The pork and onions can be put in roasting tin up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Just before cooking, rub with the salt, caraway and garlic and cook as directed.
• Making leftovers right:
• Leftover pork can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 3 days. Eat it cold or reheat gently in a saucepan with leftover gravy, until piping hot. You should store any leftover gravy in a separate airtight container in the in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
• Leftover pork can be frozen for up to 2 months, tightly wrapped in foil, then defrosted overnight in the refrigerator. Even if you have an amount too small to be useful by itself (a likely outcome), simply bag and mark it up and freeze it for future use in the Pantry Paella recipe.

BRAISED PORK BELLY CARAWAY SAUERKRAUT & POTATOES

Steps:

• To Cure the Pork Remove the skin from the pork belly (if the butcher hasn't done this for you). Using a sharp knife, score the fat side in a crisscross pattern, making cuts about ¼ inch deep. Stir together the salt, sugar, parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Rub the mixture all over the pork, especially into the scored fat. Place half the remaining cure mixture in a large shallow pan or baking dish and press the pork into it, meat-side down. Press the remaining mixture over the pork, cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours. To Braise the Belly Brush as much of the cure mixture from the pork as possible. Pour just enough oil into a large, heavy sauté pan to cover the bottom and place the pan over low heat. Put the pork in the pan fat-side down and slowly render until golden brown, about10 minutes. Turn the pork and brown the side with the meat. Remove the pork to a platter and carefully pour off about half of the rendered fat from the pan. Add the onions and caraway seeds to the pan and cook for 5 minutes: The onions should be limp but not fully tender, and the caraway aromatic. Stir the sauerkraut into the pan and heat it through. Nestle the pork belly in the pan and tuck in the rosemary as well. Pour in the wine, cover the pan, and slowly braise the pork until fork-tender, about 2 ½ hours. Check about every 45 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan, adding water if necessary. About 20 minutes before the pork is done, add the potatoes; cook until they are fork-tender but still have the slightest touch of a bite to them. Slice the pork into thick slabs and serve on a platter over the potatoes and sauerkraut. Accompany the pork with a dish or a dollop of mustard.

BRAISED PORK AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300º. Trim any excess fat from the ribs.
• In a large dutch oven, put 1 can of sauerkraut, with juices, into the pot and spread along the bottom. Place one layer of pork ribs on top of sauerkraut. Season with salt and pepper. Add another can of sauerkraut over the ribs. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Repeat with another layer of pork ribs, salt and pepper, another can of sauerkraut. Top with brown sugar. (So I did two layers of pork and 3 cans of kraut. You may want or need another can of sauerkraut. Just adjust to your amount and size of ribs and pot.)
• Add water to the side of the ribs, enough so liquid comes ¾ of the way up the pork and kraut, I added about ½ can of water. Cover pot with lid.
• Place in middle of oven and braise for 2½ - 3 hours, until pork is very tender when pierced. You can remove the lid the last 15 - 30 minutes if you want the top more brown.
• Remove from oven and skim any fat from the top. Serve with mashed potatoes, and maybe apple sauce (not baked beans!).

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT WITH PORK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Season the pork ribs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Heat a medium saucepan, over high heat, add the pigs feet, wine, and bay leaves; bring to a boil, dover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds for about 2 minutes, remove from heat; remove to a mortar and pestle, or use the side of a knife, and lightly crush them.
• Return Dutch oven to the heat, add the olive oil, increase heat to medium high and add the bratwurst; cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes then transfer to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium, melt butter, cook onions until softened, about 5 minutes; add apples, cook until both are golden, about 10 minutes more.
• Add garlic, cook 2 minutes.
• Add the wine and pigs feet; simmer 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot for any stuck on browned bits; add sauerkray, pork ribs, 3/4 cup water, carrots, coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Nesle the pork chop into the sauerkraut.
• Cover the pot and bake for 1 hour (or transfer to an oven safe casserole).
• After an hour, turn the pork chop and add in the bratwurst; cover, and return to oven for 30 minutes.
• Simmer, uncovered, until the juices thicken up and the meat is tender, 30 to 45 minutes longer (return to Dutch oven if using an oven-safe only casserole).
• Serve with boiled potatoes and garnish with chopped parsley.