Pork and Sauerkraut
Ranked #10,336 in Holidays & Celebrations, #177,357 overall
Pork and Sauerkraut, Lucky or Not So Lucky
Passed down from generation to generation, the idea of eating Pork and Sauerkraut on the first day of the New Year is that it brings good luck to those who indulge.
Quite frankly, who wants to mess with that!
So what is all the hubbub about eating this meal on New Years Day?
Well, as the story goes it has been said that eating pork on this special day brings good luck to those for the entire year. But, why pork? Well, supposedly it is due to the fact that the pig digs into the ground in a forward motion, while other animals dig or scratch in a backward motion. The central idea being moving ahead, which seems obviously better then moving in reverse. Many nationalities throughout the world have gravitated toward eating some type of ham or pork on the first day of the year due to the"lucky factor".
So why not give it a try, Who couldn't use a bit of Good Luck for the New Year...
New Years Traditions or Superstitions?
Traditional New Years Food are said to bring various fortunes to those who eat the chosen foods. Traditions vary from culture to culture, but there are many similarities in what is eaten in different regions on the world.: The main types of these so-called lucky foods, are grapes, greens, fish, pork, legumes, and cakes.
Pennsylvania Dutch
I can tell you that as a Pennsylvanian, a descendant of Swiss and German immigrants, our traditions and customs stemmed from these European roots. These descendants later were better known as Pennsylvania Dutch and formed their own language and customs. Growing up my Grandparents among many others spoke PA Dutch.This funny language was part German and part something else. It had a sing song flow with high inflections at the end of the sentence. I spent a great deal of my youth trying to figure out what they were saying. So I took German as my second language and quickly realized that this really did not help me to understand the PA Dutch language. It is sad that it is a dying language and very few are able to speak and understand it today.
PA Dutch food is extremely important to our families. Extremely rich flavorful foods, some examples include roasts, creamy gravies, buttery mashed potatoes, potato filling, warm bacon dressing and chocolate cakes and pies. Food was definitely a way of life! Pork and Sauerkraut was a definite meal on New Years Day.
Comfort Food at its Max
There really is nothing better from the aroma of slowly cooked Sauerkraut roasting in the oven with a Juicy Pork Roast.The smells lingering through your kitchen create warmth even on the most blustery wintery day. Make sure you serve your Pork and Sauerkraut with some fluffy and buttery mashed potatoes. This is truly the king-daddy of Comfort Food.
We all love our comfort foods which bring back fond memories of our childhood.
Photo: free-extras.com
Pork and Sauerkraut
Tradionally this is an inexpensive meal and uses a pork roast of some type. A bone-in will lend more flavor but will have to be removed prior to serving.
1 (8 lb) pork shoulder, pork butt, (bone in or bone out)
2.5 lbs sauerkraut , with juice (canned or bagged)
salt and pepper
Applesauce (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse Sauerkraut with water and place in pan. Optional Apples can be placed on top of sauerkraut at this time.
- Sear Pork Roast approximately 2 minutes each side on medium heat
- Place Pork on top of sauerkraut
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
- Cover roasting pan and put in oven for 2.5 hours.
- Remove from oven and enjoy! Mashed potatoes are a must with this dish.
Le Crueset
French Oven
Applesauce and Sauerkraut
Not such a great fan of sauerkraut. Well, me neither! So adding some applesauce to your sauerkraut and baking it with the pork will reduce the pungent sour taste of this fermented cabbage. And actually in my opinion makes it rather tasty.
Pork and Sauerkraut in a Slow Cooker
The Slow Cooker or Crock pot version of Pork and Sauerkraut is almost the same as the oven method.
1 (8 lb) pork shoulder, pork butt, (bone in or bone out)
2.5 lbs sauerkraut, with juice (canned or bagged)
salt and pepper
1/2 Cup of Water
Applesauce (optional)
Directions:
- Turn on Slow Cooker to high, to cook for 6-8 hours.
- Cut into several chunks
- Sear Pork Roast approximately 2 minutes each side on medium heat
- Rinse Sauerkraut with water and place in pan. Optional applesauce can be placed on top of sauerkraut at this time.
- Place Pork on top of sauerkraut
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
- Add 1/2 Cup of Water
- Cover Slow-cooker
- Remove from Slow-Cooker and enjoy! Mashed potatoes are a must with this dish.
Slow Cookers Available on Amazon
All Clad Slow Cooker with Ceramic insert
This All Clad Slow Cooker 6 1/2 quart features a black ceramic insert. This unit is identical to the one sold at Amazon listed above. Compare price here.
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Do you make pork for the New Year?
There are so many different ways to celebrate the New Year. Please share with us how you bring in the New Year.
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GypsyPirate
Apr 11, 2012 @ 12:20 pm | delete
- I always have pork and sauerkraut for New Years! But, I never dilute the taste of the kraut, I just love it's tang and pungency. Only add some caraway seeds and a bay leaf to the slow cooker. Thanks for sharing your family traditions!
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Ladymermaid
Mar 8, 2012 @ 9:49 am | delete
- My mom loved Sauerkraut and I remember the smell floating throughout our home.
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JaguarJulie Feb 12, 2012 @ 2:54 pm | delete
- Yumm ... sure do love that sauerkraut ... and pork too!
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cffutah
Jan 18, 2012 @ 8:43 pm | delete
- love the accessories here, nicely done.
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JoshK47
Jan 13, 2012 @ 11:20 am | delete
- Never heard of eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year's - sounds good to me, though! :)
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