Brined Pork and Sauerkraut |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 300 Minutes |
Ready In: 320 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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A Pennsylvania New Year's Day tradition with a bit more flavor! Ingredients:
brine |
2 cups water |
2 cups apple juice |
3/4 cup cider vinegar |
3 tablespoons dark molasses |
1/2 cup kosher salt |
1 tablespoon pickling spice |
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns |
4 cups ice, divided - or as needed |
1 (4 pound) pork loin roast |
2 (27 ounce) cans sauerkraut, drained |
1/2 onion, sliced |
3 tablespoons brown sugar |
1 teaspoon fennel seeds |
1 teaspoon ground coriander |
4 carrots, diced |
2 apples, cored and sliced |
1 cup dried cranberries |
3/4 cup chopped walnuts |
Directions:
1. Pour water, apple juice, cider vinegar, molasses, kosher salt, pickling spice, and black peppercorns in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and molasses. Simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 cups ice into brine and stir to melt ice and cool brine. 2. Place pork loin into a large container and pack 2 more cups ice, or as needed, around the meat. Pour brine over ice and pork, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight. 3. Remove pork roast from brine and place into a slow cooker; pour 2 cups brine over the meat. Discard remaining brine. Spread sauerkraut, onion slices, brown sugar, fennel seeds, and coriander over pork roast. Set cooker on Low and cook for 3 hours. Add carrots to slow cooker and cook 1 more hour; add apples, cranberries, and walnuts and cook until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 1 hour more. |
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