Braising Arizona
Oct. 25th, 2012 01:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Pork and Sauerkraut.
"Pork with sauerkraut is an effortless slow-braised transmutation. The acidic sauerkraut makes the pork tender, cuts its richness, and cooks down into a pungent golden mess."
Choose a couple of pounds of bone-in pork roast, ribs, or other cheap cut of pork. The bones contribute so much flavor to the sauerkraut juices - don't neglect them. Heat a few tablespoons of fat (I used duck fat) in the bottom of a Dutch oven. When it's shimmery and hot, add the meat in a single layer on the bottom. Turn it after 1-2 minutes to brown it on the other side.
When the meat is well browned, add 1 quart of sauerkraut and its juices. If the kraut is fairly dry, you'll want to add some liquid to keep it from burning. (I added white plonk.) Stir it a bit to loosen any meat bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Consider adding a fresh apple, peeled, cored, and chunked to sweeten the sauce. (I added some garlic as well. [Of course I did.])
Cover the pot and let it cook gently for 5 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn't cook off. The pork will be falling apart when it's done, and the sauerkraut will reduce and soften. Serve the pork on mashed potatoes, topped with the cooked-down sauerkraut.
What worked: Glorious on a cool and rainy day.
What didn't: I had too much pork relative to the (house-made) sauerkraut. I ended up adding more after our dinner to balance it out.
Will I make it again? Sure.
What I'm reading: Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor's Soul
"Pork with sauerkraut is an effortless slow-braised transmutation. The acidic sauerkraut makes the pork tender, cuts its richness, and cooks down into a pungent golden mess."
Choose a couple of pounds of bone-in pork roast, ribs, or other cheap cut of pork. The bones contribute so much flavor to the sauerkraut juices - don't neglect them. Heat a few tablespoons of fat (I used duck fat) in the bottom of a Dutch oven. When it's shimmery and hot, add the meat in a single layer on the bottom. Turn it after 1-2 minutes to brown it on the other side.
When the meat is well browned, add 1 quart of sauerkraut and its juices. If the kraut is fairly dry, you'll want to add some liquid to keep it from burning. (I added white plonk.) Stir it a bit to loosen any meat bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Consider adding a fresh apple, peeled, cored, and chunked to sweeten the sauce. (I added some garlic as well. [Of course I did.])
Cover the pot and let it cook gently for 5 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn't cook off. The pork will be falling apart when it's done, and the sauerkraut will reduce and soften. Serve the pork on mashed potatoes, topped with the cooked-down sauerkraut.
What worked: Glorious on a cool and rainy day.
What didn't: I had too much pork relative to the (house-made) sauerkraut. I ended up adding more after our dinner to balance it out.
Will I make it again? Sure.
What I'm reading: Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor's Soul
