Emerils Never Enough Pork Beer Braised Sauerkraut Recipes

PORK, SAUERKRAUT AND BEER

Steps:

• Mix the sugar throughout the sauerkraut.
• Pour undrained sauerkraut on the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Next, pour dark beer over sauerkraut.
• Blend together the salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika.
• Rub spice mixture onto roast.
• With fat side up, place pork roast in the middle of slow cooker.
• Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or High for 5 to 6 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.

EMERIL'S NEVER ENOUGH PORK BEER-BRAISED SAUERKRAUT RECIPE

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.