The Absolute Best Pork & Sauerkraut

This pork roast is probably the very first roast I ever made on my own. It was after both my Mom and Dad had passed and it was my first New Year’s Eve without them.

Now I was going out with friends that night however it’s a tradition in my family to have pork roast and sauerkraut on NYE. Mom always said it was to bring us good luck and fortune.

The Absolute Best Pork & Sauerkraut

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 pound pork loin roast – boneless and at room temperature (this is important!) – this should take about 20-30 minutes from being in the fridge
2 pounds sauerkraut (I do not rinse mine)
1 Tbl caraway seeds *note – you can omit this if you hate caraway seeds but for me it makes the dish
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 peeled apple (gala or any sweet apple), chopped * (see note) *optional
1/2 cup light brown sugar *add less if you like it more bitter/sauerkraut tangy. see note
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup water *optional
2 Tbl olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F, rack in the middle. Pat the pork dry and sprinkle the entire roast with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil. When the olive oil starts to simmer carefully place the pork roast in. Sear on all sides until golden brown – ~5-8 minutes per side.
In a lidded 6qrt Dutch Oven place the sauerkraut all over the bottom. Sprinkle over the caraway seeds, onions, apples and brown sugar. Place the seared pork roast on top nestling it in the sauerkraut. If you’ve drained yours sauerkraut, add the water. If you did not you do not need the water. You want at least a cup of liquid in the pot.
Cover tightly with a lid and bake for about 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads between 145F-150F. While it’s cooking check the pot to ensure that it’s not drying out. If needed, add more water. I have never had to but I always add at least a cup of liquid. Remove from the oven once the thermometer reads 145F-150F. Carefully remove the roast from the pan and place on a cutting board covering loosely with foil.
Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Crock Pot Instructions:

If you want to make this in the crock pot, pan sear the meat following the recipe and in the bottom of a 6qrt crock pot add in the sauerkraut, caraway seeds, onions, brown sugar and pork (water if you drained the kraut). Cover and cook on low for about 8-9 hours. OR If you want your sauerkraut to retain more ‘bite’ cook the pork for ~6 hours without the kraut (make sure to add liquid though!) and then add the kraut in the last few hours of cooking!

Adding Apples:

I add the apple to help curb the bitterness of the kraut plus it adds such an incredible depth of flavor to the kraut! It’s a must try in my book! If you like it more bitter; omit

Adding Brown Sugar

Adding sugar is completely optional as it to how bitter/sour you like your kraut. If your Kraut is really bitter, add the full amount of sugar. Start with a 1/4 cup if desired.

Prevent it from drying out

You need to ensure that your pot has a tight seal. If it does not, add foil to cover the pot and then the lid. If you do not have a lid, ensure that the foil is fitted snugly.