I bought canned sauerkraut for the first time ever to make this recipe. Guess what? It's in the canned vegetable aisle, not the condiment aisle.
Go figure.
I am not much of a sauerkraut person. Adam always asks for it when we get our after-shopping hot dog at Costco (you get a hotdog each time you're at Costco too, right?) but I've never been interested.
But a friend of a friend* wrote out her pulled pork with sauerkraut recipe on the back of a business card for me and insisted I give it a try.
So I did.
and I now see more sauerkraut in my future.
huh!
go figure again.
* who prefers to remain a silent anonymous being because the internet is full of nutjobs. Present company excluded, of course.
The Ingredients.
serves 8 (maybe more if you serve the meat/veggies on buns)
2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 (14.5-ounce) can sauerkraut (the whole thing)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
8 rolls for serving (optional)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the roast into the bottom or your cooker. In a mixing bowl, combine the dried spices: mustard, thyme, sage, paprika, salt, pepper.
Rub these spices on all sides of the roast. Put the shredded carrot, sauerkraut, and caraway seeds into the empty bowl, and stir to combine. Then pour all contents on top of the spiced roast.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with two forks.
HEY! there's no liquid? no broth? what's up with that?
It's not a mistake, I promise. The wetness from the sauerkraut combined with the meat juices is plenty for your roast to cook properly, and become fully shredded and lovely. If you have a pot that doesn't trap heat/moisture in very well because of a gap in the lid, or a spoon notch, you can lay down a layer of foil and then put the lid on. You want to see a bunch of condensation on the lid while the crockpot is in use.
Shred the meat completely, and stir well. Serve as is in a bowl, or serve spooned into toasted rolls.
The Verdict.
I love how the tang from the sauerkraut and mustard tastes when mixed with the spices---especially the caraway---it tastes Irish (caraway is the pronounced flavor of rye bread or Irish soda bread. Since rye is off-limits when you're gluten free, I like begin able to get a hint of that when I can!)
The girls and I ate our meat by itself over some rice, but Adam made sandwiches for himself with French's mustard.
If you're looking for a way to sneak extra veggies into your family dinner, this is a good candidate. No one would notice if you added some shredded zucchini or cucumber.
more stuff:
1) I'm gearing up for the launch of my new cookbook: More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes.
The book will be available in stores December 28 (although you are certainly welcome to pre-order on Amazon!) but there is a giveaway right now over on Fresh Fiction. Jen has 5! books to give away. There is also an interview up in case you wanted to know EVEN MORE about me. :-)
2) Before I had children, I ran preschool centers for under-privileged children. I wrote about my favorite Christmas memory working with children over on BookReporter.
3) I'm finishing up my stint at Smithfield.com and have a post about my "current" holiday traditions. I have current in quotes because our family traditions are still a work in progress. BUT! I do know we'll use a slow cooker or 7 this holiday season. :-)
4) Need more pork recipes? I think I found them all, right here!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping with such gusto and compassion and force with the Lyme disease information for my friend Diane. I know she is still digesting everything, but it is so refreshing and inspiring to know there is valuable information and love floating around the world.
have a fantastic day!
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