Boneless Pork Ribs and Sauerkraut

This is one of my favorite meals to make in the fall and winter months. I didn't grow up eating sauerkraut and I was convinced that I didn't like it because of the smell. My Dear Hubby grew up eating sauerkraut and he would eat sauerkraut anytime it was available, which was always someplace other than our home. 

When I saw this recipe I knew that Dear Hubby would love this meal. I can't even imagine what came over me when I decided to make this the first time. Although, I do remember thinking that I would scrape the sauerkraut off of mine. I was pleasantly surprised how good this dish smelled as it was cooking, and when I tasted it I loved it and even ate the sauerkraut. Now it is one of my favorites. Of course, Dear Hubby loved it too and I have made it many times since then. 

This is a one pot meal and it can be cooked in the oven or on the stove top. I found the original recipe here on Recipezaar, which is now Food.com. I now double the sauerkraut in my version.

This recipe works well with a dutch oven, or any roasting type pan with a lid. You start by browning your floured and seasoned meat in hot oil in the pan. When browned, you transfer the meat to a plate, and add your sliced onion and minced garlic to the pan and saute until translucent. Next, you add the sauerkraut, crushed pineapple, caraway seed and bay leaves and mix it together. Then you place the meat back into the pan and carefully stir it up until it is well mixed. Now you are ready to put the lid on your pan and let it simmer on the stove top or cook in your oven for about 3 hours. That is it. Be prepared to have your neighbors drop by to see what you are fixing for dinner. The aroma will draw them in!

Ready for the table

For variety, sometimes I add a couple of sliced apples when I add the sauerkraut. This time I made fresh chunky applesauce and served it along with boiled fingerling potatoes and frozen corn from the garden.

Chunky applesauce

Slice the apples and put them in a sauce pan with a tablespoon or two of water or apple juice. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. It takes about 15 minutes for the apples to get tender. For chunky applesauce, don't smash the apples when you are stirring.  For a smoother applesauce, smash with a fork or a hand masher. I used a combination of Yellow Delicious, Braeburn and Gala apples. They don't need any sugar, but you can add sugar if you prefer it sweetener. A little cinnamon is always good too. Serve either warm or chilled.

Boiled fingerling potatoes

For dessert, I served these Mini Caramel Apple Pies

We had company for dinner and everyone enjoyed the meal. It wasn't fancy food but just good home cooking. Typically I would fix this on a cooler fall day, but it just happened to be a warm 73 degree day. I'm loving this Indian Summer! They say the weather will be changing next week here in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm trying to enjoy every minute.

Here is the printable recipe:



Enjoy!