Today, like every New Year’s Day for years, I am making Pork and Sauerkraut for luck. It’s a Pittsburgh tradition and is man food at its finest. Not hard to make, ridiculously good, and includes beer. Men love it. Women do too…especially when paired with creamy mashed red potatoes.
And it’s good all winter long because it’s hearty (especially if you’re back east where winters make your nose hairs freeze) delicious, and a good hot meal. An added perk is, it looks like the food Ralphie’s mom fed their family in A Christmas Story.
This is another great recipe I got from my sister-in-law, Donna and brother Bernie. They were also the origins of my carrot cake recipe and the Danish Pastry Puff recipe, so you know this is going to be good too.
I just went back over my prior recipe for this dish and discovered a big error — I am so sorry! So, I’m re-posting it today. It really needs two 32 ounce jars of sauerkraut, one is not enough. So, if you ever made it and found it lacking, I am so sorry for that oversight. The other weird thing about this recipe is if you cover the pan with aluminum foil, something strange happens to the foil. It starts to pit or disintegrate because of the acidity of the vinegar in the sauerkraut combined with the barbecue sauce. If you can, use a pan with a metal or glass cover instead of foil. I read that the tiny particles won’t hurt you, but who wants to eat foil?
I have a few resolutions this year, including approaching life with less fear and more determination. I have a few books on my table that are helpful right now, including a Christmas gift from my friend, Dawn. It’s called “Almost Everything” by Anne Lamott and is about hope. Without hope, we have nothing, so I love anything that can keep hope alive and well in the world. I’m also reading “The Power of Starting Something Stupid,” by Richie Norton. Those two, and an old favorite, “Tattoos on the Heart,” by Father Gregory Boyle (which I’m hoping is making me a more compassionate person) are a good way to start 2019.
Last year ended with too much loss for me. Let’s hope 2019 brings us all the health, happiness, prosperity and common sense leadership we need to be comfortable and safe in the world. Thanks for always reading. Here’s some hearty man food to get you through 2019.
Pork and Sauerkraut with Beer and Barbecue Sauce
Here it is before cooking, ready to be covered and bake for three hours.
Slice the pork into 1 inch slices. Lay slices on cookie sheet or in a large casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle pork with meat tenderizer and garlic salt. Place it, uncovered, in the oven about 45 minutes - until just cooked.
While the pork is cooking. Remove sauerkraut from the jars and squeeze it, draining it. Place drained sauerkraut in a large bowl. Add the diced onion and shredded apple to sauerkraut and mix well.
Remove pork from oven. (There will be juice in the bottom of the pan - I leave it in for flavor.) Put the pork with its juice in a large casserole dish or baking pan. Place sauerkraut-apple mixture evenly over the pork. Add in chopped kielbasa pieces wherever they fit. Pour the whole beer into the pan then drizzle barbecue sauce over the sauerkraut.
Cover with a glass baking lid or casserole dish lid because if you use aluminum foil, it will pit and start to disintegrate in tiny spots because of the acid in the sauerkraut and the barbecue sauce. I use a cookie sheet or casserole lid to cover mine and that works fine. Bake at 350 for three hours or until the pork is fork tender. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
Scrub the potatoes and remove any eyes, then chop them into quarters (or smaller)and place them in a large pot. (I don’t peel them because the skin is thin and where the nutrients are.) Fill the pot so the water is about an inch over the top of the potatoes and bring them to a boil. Cook them until they can be easily pierced with a fork. While they're cooking, melt the butter and set it aside.
When the potatoes are tender, drain them and immediately add the melted butter and mix it into the potatoes with a hand mixer. Then add the half and half, or whipping cream (or a mixture of both). If the potatoes aren't creamy enough, add additional half and half/whipping cream.
Mix until they reach a creamy consistency. Then add salt to taste and serve them with a little dollop of butter in the middle.