Polish Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

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Polish Pork Chops and Sauerkraut Ingredients

6 bone-in pork chops (I like my chops 3/4- to 1-inch thick)	1 bottle (12 oz) lager beer
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste	4 or 5 medium red potatoes, cut into eighths
1 large yellow onion, roughly diced	1 tablespoon juniper berries, coarsely chopped or crushed
1 package Lipton onion soup mix	4 ounces salt pork, trimmed of rind and cut into matchstick-sized pieces
1 jar or bag (32 oz) sauerkraut

Instructions for Polish Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place salt pork in a non-reactive dutch oven or stew pot over medium low heat and gently render fat until lardons are browned. Remove to a bowl and reserve.

Generously season chops with salt and pepper and brown in batches in rendered fat over medium high heat. Remove chops to a plate as browned.

Reduce heat to medium, add diced onion, and saute until lightly browned. Remove onions to the bowl containing the pork lardons, add juniper and lipton soup mix and mix thoroughly.

Add 1/2 cup of beer to pot and deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Remove pot from heat.

Add 1 cup kraut (including juice) to pot. Place two chops on kraut and arrange 1/3 of potatoes around chops. Sprinkle in 1/3 of onion mixture. Repeat layering ending with final 1 cup of kraut on top. Add all juices from chops, onions, and kraut juice. Add remaining beer and, if necessary, water to bring liquid level just to the top of the kraut.

Return pot to stove and bring to boil over high heat. Cover tightly, place in preheated oven, and cook for one hour or until chops are tender and falling off the bone.

This is essentially a one-dish meal, but some good rye or pumpernickle bread for sopping up the broth is highly recommended. Also, homemade stewed apples are a traditional as well as delicious side dish.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Main Ingredient: PorkCuisine: Eastern European

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