Recipe - Sauerkraut Pork Roast & Broasted Potatoes

Good Morning Sisters:

People seem to have a love-hate relationship with Sauerkraut--that is, they either love it or they hate it!  In our family we have both kinds.  When we came to Providence some 18 years ago, it seemed fitting to embrace the Sauerkraut tradition of our new community whole-heartedly, so we started attending the annual Sauerkraut Turkey dinner.  As the most enthusiastic Sauerkraut eater in our family, I led the way while others joined me with some measure of reluctance.  I shouldn't mention names, but my husband, John, has not quite caught the spirit of the event even after all these years.  To be direct, he does not like Sauerkraut.  Nevertheless, he does enjoy my Sauerkraut Pork Roast, which I am sharing with you today.  We were out of town Saturday and had to miss the city dinner, so on Sunday I made this favorite family dish, along with Broasted Potatoes.  Let's just say that the Sauerkraut naysayers around the table were heard to murmur nary a negative word all during dinner. (It seems they were too busy blissfully chewing to speak).

This great recipe came to me years ago by way of my sister, Stacey.  I have made one change to her original instructions by using my slow cooker instead of the oven.  Honestly, this has got to be the easiest meal I ever make, consisting of only three ingredients--boneless pork roast, frozen apple juice, and canned Sauerkraut.  It literally takes five minutes to get it into the cooker, and about eight hours later, a delicious, fork-tender pork roast surrounded by golden brown Sauerkraut appears in all its glory.  The best part is that non-Sauerkraut eaters love it too!  Simmering all day in the apple juice somehow magically transforms plain Sauerkraut into a whole new flavor sensation, bringing everyone together to enjoy a taste of autumn and pay homage to a long treasured tradition in our lovely hometown of  Providence, Utah.

Sauerkraut Pork Roast

3 to 4 pound Lean Boneless Pork Sirloin Roast

12 oz Can Frozen Apple Juice

2 (14 oz) cans Sauerkraut

Salt and Pepper and Celery Seed to taste

 Rinse off Roast and salt and pepper all sides.  Place in large Slow Cooker

Drain Sauerkraut and spoon over the top of the meat.

Spoon frozen apple juice over the top, straight from the can.  Sprinkle with pepper and celery seed (this is optional.  Don't worry if you don't have any celery seed).

Turn Slow Cooker to HIGH and cook for a couple hours on high if you can, then turn to LOW for 6 to 8 more hours (depending on when you'll be ready to eat).  If you aren't going to be at home, it's OK to start it on low, but it will need about 10 hours total.  Also, make sure your roast is completely thawed out before placing in cooker. 

Shred the meat apart with a couple of meat forks.  You can serve it straight out of the pot, using a slotted spoon to get to the Sauerkraut without getting too much juice on people's plates.

I made broasted potatoes to go with my roast.  Keep reading to see instructions for these.

Broasted Potatoes

All you have to do to make these is cut potatoes in long wedges, drizzle melted butter over them and use hands to see that they are coated on all sides with the butter.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (I use coarse kosher salt and coarse grind black pepper--but regular is fine).  Mix with your hands again to distribute the salt and pepper. 

Roast in a single layer in a large flat dish (preferably glass) at 400 degrees for about an hour until crispy and browned.  Serve with any meat dish.  Enjoy!