Burns Family
Pork and Sauerkraut
1 Pork shoulder roast, untrimmed of fat
3 large jars or cans of sauerkraut
2 twenty-eight ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes
3 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
Empty the sauerkraut into a roasting pan large enough to comfortably fit the pork roast with four or five inches between the meat and the pan on all sides. Crush the tomatoes and mix them and their juice with the sauerkraut. I use my hands. Break the sliced onions into rings and mix them with the sauerkraut-tomato combination. Place the meat on the sauerkraut mixture in the center of the pan. Salt and pepper the contents of the roasting pan. Put the roaster on a lower rack in the center of the oven. Roast three to four hours or until the meat easily falls apart. I serve this dish with mashed potatoes and a bottle of beer.
You may reduce the temperature of the oven to 250 degrees F. and lengthen the cooking time an additional hour or so. You may add shredded fresh cabbage to the sauerkraut mixture to reduce acidity and you may add caraway seeds to provide yet another layer of flavor. Being a traditionalist, I do neither.
BRUEGEL ONION SOUP
4 LARGE YELLOW ONIONS
½ CUP BUTTER
2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR
1 TABLESPOON FRESH THYME, MINCED
2 BOTTLES BRUEGEL ALE (11.2 OZ)
3 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK
3 CUPS BEEF STOCK
SALT TO TASTE
1 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
CROUTONS & FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
PEEL THE ONIONS AND CUT ABOUT ½ INCH OFF THE STEM AND ROOT ENDS. CUT EACH IN HALF LENGTHWISE. LAYING CUT SIDE DOWN, CUT THE ONION HALVES CROSSWISE INTO THIN SLICES RESEMBLING CRESCENT MOONS.
IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN MELT THE BUTTER OVER MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL SIZZLING. ADD THE ONIONS AND COOK, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY, UNTIL THE ONIONS BEGIN TO BROWN AND CARAMELIZE, ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES. POUR IN THE BRUEGEL ALE AND SCRAPE THE PAN’S BOTTOM TO LOOSEN ANY BROWNED BITS.
ADD THE CHICKEN AND BEEF STOCKS, SALT, PEPPER AND BRING TO A BOIL. REDUCE AND SIMMER AND COOK UNCOVERED ABOUT ONE HOUR. OCCASIONALLY SKIM AND DISCARD ANY FOAM THAT RISES TO THE TOP.
SERVE HOT OVER TOASTED CROUTONS AND GARNISH WITH GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE.
SERVES 4.
Recipe taken from the Global Beer Newsletter. To subscribe, call 1-800-442-3379. Recipe developed by the California Culinary Academy, 1-800-BAY-CHEF.