Not everyone loves pork and sauerkraut.
Eat the homestyle dish on Jan. 1 and you’ll be blessed with good luck in the new year. It’s central Pa.'s version of black-eyed peas.
It’s tradition to eat pork and sauerkraut - typically with mashed potatoes - on New Year’s Day. And if you don’t make it yourself, plenty of restaurants, churches and fire companies will be serving dinners.
Superstition has it that because a pig roots forward, eating pork on New Year’s Day helps a person to move ahead. (Chicken, according to the superstition, should not be eaten on Jan. 1 because a chicken scratches backward.)
Here are recipes from the PennLive archive:
Pork and Sauerkraut
Place sauerkraut and pork in a roasting pan with one apple and a very light sprinkling of brown sugar. You don't want to taste the sugar, but a small amount mellows the taste of the sauerkraut. Add a little water. Bake covered at 325 degrees for two and a half to three hours, depending on the size of the pork.
Source: Laudermilch Meats in Annville.
Pork Loin with Sauerkraut
Serves 6
- 4 pounds pork loin oil (as needed for browning)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1 can (about 29 ounces) sauerkraut
- 1 raw potato, peeled and grated
- 1 apple, peeled and sliced
Instructions:
In a large heavy-bottomed pan, add enough oil to cover the bottom and place over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and transfer to a crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low setting for about 10 hours. Season to taste.
Easy Pork and Sauerkraut
Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 1 pound pork roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 (32-ounce) jar sauerkraut with juice
- 1/2 (12-fluid-ounce) can or bottle beer
- 1/2 apple, peeled and cored
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill weed
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir well. Submerse the apple under the other ingredients. Cook on high for one hour, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 5 hours or until pork is cooked through. Discard apple and serve.