Braised Sauerkraut with Pork

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather your ingredients. Home-fermented sauerkraut is best for this recipe; if that's not an option, store-bought works too. Mine is store-bought, with carrots, but any sauerkraut (not the vinegar-pickled kind) will do. Choose pork suited to frying or braising. Season with salt and black pepper to taste; you can round out the spices with bay leaf and allspice. Get a skillet ready for braising.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the pork under cold running water, remove any bits of bone, and pat it dry. Cut it however you like — small pieces or a bit larger. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the cut pork and brown it on all sides.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the onion and cut it however you like — half-moons or dice. Add the onion to the meat and cook everything together until the onion turns translucent.

4. Step 4:

   

   Drain the sauerkraut (but save the liquid) and add it to the meat and onion. Lower the heat and stir. Braise the cabbage with the meat over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring so it doesn't scorch. Add some of the reserved cabbage liquid or a little water if needed.

5. Step 5:

   

   After 30 minutes, season the cabbage with salt to taste, black pepper, any other spices you like, and the sugar (you may need a little more or less depending on how sour your cabbage is). Stir and keep braising until done. How done is up to you — some like the cabbage very soft, others with a bit of bite.

6. Step 6:

   

   Serve the braised sauerkraut hot or warm. To my mind, potato dishes are the perfect match.