Polish Pork Chops and Sauerkraut
Another of my fathers favorite meals was Chops and Kraut. A very simple, yet delectable dish that my mother often fixed when I was a child and I always loved. This dish will make your mouth water especially the cooking broth, so be sure to have a good rye or pumpernickel bread for sopping the juices my grandma always served fresh baked rye bread, still warm from the oven, along with freshly churned butter to slather on-uhhh, memories to live for!
Another of my fathers favorite meals was Chops and Kraut. A very simple, yet delectable dish that my mother often fixed when I was a child and I always loved. This dish will make your mouth water especially the cooking broth, so be sure to have a good rye or pumpernickel bread for sopping the juices my grandma always served fresh baked rye bread, still warm from the oven, along with freshly churned butter to slather on-uhhh, memories to live for!
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 6 bone-in pork chops (i like my chops 3/4- to 1-inch thick)
- 1 large yellow onion roughly diced
- 1 package lipton onion soup mix
- 1 32-oz jar sauerkraut (or 32-oz bag)
- 1 12-oz bottle lager beer
- 4 medium red potatoes (up to 5 medium), cut into eighths
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries coarsely chopped or crushed
- 4 ounces salt pork trimmed of rind and cut into matchstick-sized pieces
- Carbohydrate 56.464075 g
- Cholesterol 230.346 mg
- Fat 50.45875 g
- Fiber 11.3980003237724 g
- Protein 70.866785 g
- Saturated Fat 17.4363425 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (900g)
- Sodium 2888.1435 mg
- Sugar 45.0660746762276 g
- Trans Fat 5.117815 g
- Calories 993 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place salt pork in a non-reactive dutch oven or stew pot over medium low heat and gently render fat until lardons are browned. Remove to a bowl and reserve.
- Generously season chops with salt and pepper and brown in batches in rendered fat over medium high heat. Remove chops to a plate as browned.
- Reduce heat to medium, add diced onion, and saute until lightly browned. Remove onions to the bowl containing the pork lardons, add juniper and lipton soup mix and mix thoroughly.
- Add 1/2 cup of beer to pot and deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Remove pot from heat.
- Add 1 cup kraut (including juice) to pot. Place two chops on kraut and arrange 1/3 of potatoes around chops. Sprinkle in 1/3 of onion mixture. Repeat layering ending with final 1 cup of kraut on top. Add all juices from chops, onions, and kraut juice. Add remaining beer and, if necessary, water to bring liquid level just to the top of the kraut.
- Return pot to stove and bring to boil over high heat. Cover tightly, place in preheated oven, and cook for one hour or until chops are tender and falling off the bone.
- This is essentially a one-dish meal, but some good rye or pumpernickle bread for sopping up the broth is highly recommended. Also, homemade stewed apples are a traditional as well as delicious side dish.
- Makes 4 to 6 servings.
A written ingredient list leaves out how profoundly braised sauerkraut transforms during a long, slow oven dwell at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The high acidity of fermented cabbage breaks down connective tissue in bone-in chops far more aggressively than standard water or stock, rendering thick cuts fork-tender within sixty minutes. Sequencing matters when loading a Dutch oven; packing the ingredients tightly prevents the liquid from evaporating too quickly, ensuring the red potatoes steam evenly alongside the meat. Because fermented dishes develop deeper complexity as their components meld together, this braise is an exceptional candidate for advance preparation. You can assemble the entire pot up to two days ahead, refrigerating it raw until baking day, or cook it completely and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheating should happen gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or remaining lager to loosen the sauce, as high heat will rapidly dry out the lean pork proteins. Freezing is also viable for up to three months, though the red potatoes may alter slightly in texture upon thawing, becoming softer once reheated.
