Brined Pork And Sauerkraut Recipes

BRINED PORK AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Pour water, apple juice, cider vinegar, molasses, kosher salt, pickling spice, and black peppercorns in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and molasses. Simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 cups ice into brine and stir to melt ice and cool brine.
• Place pork loin into a large container and pack 2 more cups ice, or as needed, around the meat. Pour brine over ice and pork, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight.
• Remove pork roast from brine and place into a slow cooker; pour 2 cups brine over the meat. Discard remaining brine. Spread sauerkraut, onion slices, brown sugar, fennel seeds, and coriander over pork roast. Set cooker on Low and cook for 3 hours. Add carrots to slow cooker and cook 1 more hour; add apples, cranberries, and walnuts and cook until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 1 hour more.

SAUERKRAUT AND PORK FOR NEW YEARS DAY

Steps:

• 1. The first secret to really good sauerkraut and pork is to RINSE THE SAUERKRAUT!! But not too much. Put the kraut into a colander and run some water over it. Some of the brine (salt) from the kraut has to be rinsed off or it will be too salty to eat. BUT -- and this is important -- don't rinse it so thoroughly that there is no longer any salt left... then you will have to add some for taste. How can you tell when it has been rinsed enough? Taste it. Your own tongue is your best salt thermometer. Before you rinse and after you rinse -- taste it. You will know how much you need to rinse. Each brand is different.
• 2. Mom always cooked ours in a pressure cooker, but this can be done in a slow cooker crock pot, or simply on the stove top, too. The goal is to get the meat fall-apart tender and tasty which may take a while.
• 3. You can brown the meat if you like, but it is not absolutely necessary. Up to you.
• 4. Layer starting with the kraut, meat, kraut, meat, kraut. You want each piece of meat to be surrounded by kraut for the good flavors. Just stack it up according to the size of your pan and the quantity of ingredients. Just be sure to start and stop with kraut. Pour on the cup of water and sprinkle a little pepper on top.
• 5. PRESSURE COOKER: turn burner on high, when it hits high steam, turn down to simmer (which reduces the pressure of the steam) and let cook for about 20-25 minutes.
• 6. SLOW COOKER CROCK POT: turn pot to high to heat for about 30 minutes, then turn to low and let it cook all day
• 7. TOP OF THE STOVE: turn up high to heat, turn down low to slowly simmer for about 4 hours.
• 8. SUSAN'S VARIATION: after the sauerkraut and pork is finished cooking put the cornstarch in the cold water and add to s&p. Turn heat up a little to cook and thicken -- then serve
• 9. Marcia's addition: I love the taste of caraway and I would simply add a Tbsp of caraway seed at the beginning of the cooking process. (Susan does not like caraway.)
• 10. I've also tried it with thinly sliced apple (with peeling), garlic, and 1/2 C red cooking wine and found it to be so tasty I left out the caraway and now make it this way. Delicious!!
• 11. What you add is up to you. My recommendation is to try it with Mom's simple method first... Her's is the basic recipe that we loved and it really does not need to be changed to be absolutely delicious. Then the next time you make it try out some of the other variations. That's part of what I love about cooking -- the creativity. It's like a new adventure and you don't have to leave the kitchen to have the excitement! HA!
• 12. This is a low carb meal (cabbage and meat) but it is often served with mashed potatoes. Enjoy!!
• 13. Happy New Year!! God Bless!!

BRAISED PORK LOIN WITH SAUERKRAUT AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oil in dutch oven over medium high heat.
• Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides in oil and transfer to plate.
• Melt butter in same pan. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar; cook stirring until onions begin to caramelize, another 4 minutes.
• Add the mustard and sauerkraut; stir until combined and then pour in the broths. Bring to a boil stirring to loosen any browned bits in the pan.
• Return the meat to pan. Cover and reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender, about 3-4 hours.
• Remove the meat from the pan and cover loosely with foil. Bring the sauerkraut to a boil and reduce the liquid by half.
• Carve the meat and serve with the sauerkraut.
• Serves 10.