Braised Pork Belly Caraway Sauerkraut Potatoes Recipes

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!).

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.

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the drained sauerkraut in the insert of a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, caraway seeds, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries or gin, and black pepper. Combine them thoroughly with a fork or with your hands. Scatter the kielbasa on top and bury the hocks in the sauerkraut. Pour in the wine and broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 hours, until the juices are bubbling and the sauerkraut has lost its crunch.
• Remove the smoked hocks. If there is any meat on them, remove it and add it to the sauerkraut. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the braised sauerkraut as is with boiled potatoes, or use as a base for choucroute garni.

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.

SAUERKRAUT WITH BACON, POTATO AND CARAWAY

Steps:

• Saute bacon until crisp.
• remove bacon to drain, reserving fat in pan.
• saute onion in bacon fat until browned.
• add sauerkraut and saute for 5 minutes; add potato, chicken stock, reserved bacon, black pepper and caraway.
• Bring to a boil and simmer on lowest heat for 20 minutes- stirring frequently, then cover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes- stirring every 10 minutes.

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.

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT WITH LOTS OF PORK

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the ribs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set a medium saucepan on high heat and add the pigs' feet, wine and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, set a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the coriander seeds, toasting them until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle or the side of a knife, lightly crush the seeds. Set aside.
• Return the Dutch oven to the heat and add the olive oil. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the bratwurst and cook, turning occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Turn down the heat to medium and melt the butter in the pot. Toss in the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook until the apples and onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes.
• Add the wine and pigs' feet. Simmer for about 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the sauerkraut, rib tips, 3/4 cup water, carrots, coriander seeds, remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well, then nestle the pork chop in the sauerkraut.
• Cover the pot and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the pork chop and add the bratwurst. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Simmer, uncovered, until the juices have thickened and the meat is tender, another 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes and chopped parsley.

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.

BRAISED PORK CHOPS WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Melt the butter or lard in a skillet and quickly brown the pork chops on both sides. Place on platter and set aside.
• Arrange the bacon in the bottom of a large dutch oven or braising pan.
• Rinse the sauerkraut in a colander and squeeze out as much water as you can. (You can skip this step if you like a stronger flavor). Place half of it on top of the bacon.
• Place the sliced onions over the sauerkraut and sprinkle with 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
• Arrange the pork chops on top of the onions, and pour in any collected juices.Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the garlic.
• Add the rest of the sauerkraut, sprinkle with pepper and pour over as much beer as you need to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook one hour. The pot should never get completely dry.
• Note: I find 2 lbs sauerkraut to be enough, but if you have hearty eaters, you might want the larger quantity. I do not add additional salt.