Porked Sauerkraut

Mysterygirl's Note:

Hermann, MO is a town that is exceedingly proud of it's German heritage. I got this recipe from a cook at one of it's many German restaurants. He served it with mashed potatoes and a smoked apple sausage from another small town in the area.

• Total Time: 9 hrs
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 9 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 1 pork rib rack
• 3 (1 lb) packages sauerkraut (the bags from the refrigerator section)
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) can beer

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a roaster.
2. Cover the roaster with plastic wrap (yes plastic wrap) and then foil to seal.
3. Bake at 250° for 8 hours.
4. Remove coverings and stir.
5. Remove bone and cartilage as meat will have fallen off.
6. Turn oven up to 350°; continue cooking for 1 hour stirring occasionally as the dish caramelizes.
7. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Reviews

[Miss Annie]

This is a dish I think I had before in Munich. It is fantastic...wonderful....!!The pork was moist, tender, flavorful! The sauerkraut was a beautiful caramel color, and so flavorful. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed this dish. San Antonio has a huge German population too, but I have not had a dish like this here yet. Thank you so much for posting this remarkable recipe.

[Esmerelda]

Wow! I thought this would be a bit tricky, but it was really easy & delish. The first time I made them, I put the rib in with the meat-side up, which was a mistake ... much harder to fish out the cartilage, fat & bones that way. Worked better the next time 'round! I took this to my Polish mother-in-law's house for a family get-together ... she is the "sauerkraut queen" -- nobody can make it like she does. However, everybody raved about my version & had several helpings & asked to take home the left-overs! Thanks so much for this super recipe ... I am now the "sauerkraut queen" in the family (what a distinction, eh?) !

[Chef #367430]

This is the way my German-descended mother did it when I was a kid. It took some searching to find this utterly simple and delicious method. The others I tried weren't cooked long enough or had too many ingredients. The meat falls apart and the sauerkraut is really cooked down, almost like a condiment. Mom served it with mashed potatoes and milk gravy. Total comfort!