Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

This is a staple at our house.    There have been months when we have had this 5 or 6 times.    There are two ways to prepare it: simmered on the stove top or baked in the oven.    It really depends on what you have available in the way of pots and pans to cook it in.    Quantities are a little hard to nail down.    Just keep in mind that you will need enough sauerkraut to fully bury the chops and to provide enough fluid to allow the dish to simmer for an hour or two and not dry out.

Stove top method

Brown the chops on both sides.

Arrange the chops in a large pot.    It is okay if they overlap or are on top of each other. Cover these with the apples and onions.    Dump the sauerkraut on top, making sure that the chops are buried in a bed of sauerkraut.    Sprinkle liberally with caraway seeds.    Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.    Reduce the heat and let simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.    Check to make sure that it doesn't dry out.    If it seems to, add either a bit of water or a can of sauerkraut juice.    When it is done, the pork will tend to fall apart, so serve carefully.

Oven method

Brown the chops on both sides.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish or casserole dish with about 1/3-1/2 of the sauerkraut.    Arrange the chops on top of the kraut.    Cover these with the apples and onions.    Dump the remaining sauerkraut on top and spread it so that the chops are well buried in a bed of sauerkraut.    Sprinkle liberally with the caraway seeds.    Cover and bake at 350°.    This should simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.    Check it occasionally to make sure it isn't drying out.    If it is, add a little water or sauerkraut juice.

Notes

1:   I tend to use thick pork chops for this.    That isn't necessary.    The cooking
      time may be a little less, if you use thinner chops.

2:   The apples will cut the sharpness of the flavor of the sauerkraut.    I tend to use
      one good sized apple for every 2 chops.    More will tend to sweeten the dish,
      less will tend to sharpen it.

3.   I never put more than one medium onion in this.    It can be omitted entirely.

4.   How much sauerkraut you will need will depend on the cooking method and
      the quality of the sauerkraut.    When I make it on the stove top, for 2 people, I
      use 2 pounds of fresh, plastic packaged sauerkraut and include the juices.    In
      the oven, I use 4 pounds.    I don't know whether you can get sauerkraut
      packaged this way up around your parts.    Canned or bottled sauerkraut will
      work, but is usually drier.    When I use those, I always add a small can of
      sauerkraut juice.

5:   This produces much more kraut than you will eat in a meal.    It can be
      reheated and used as a side dish.    It is a wonderful thing to put on hot dogs or
      brautwurst.    Left over pork chops or roast can be chopped up and added to it
      and it can be reheated as a one dish meal.

6:   This is actually adapted from a recipe for pork hocks and saurkraut.    I don't
      cook these because they are mostly fat.    Pork spare-ribs, especially boneless
      southern style ribs, are wonderful prepared this way.

Variations

1:   Several different meats can be used.    Unsmoked cooked sausages such as ring bologna or hot dogs can be cooked this way.    The cooking time will be less.    This also means that the sauerkraut will be sharper.    This can be changed by cooking the kraut for a while, then adding the sausages.

2:   Similarly, smoked sausages such as kielbasa can be cooked this way.    Cook them either whole or sliced.    Again, cooking time will be less.