I always use the canned Franks brand. It is inexpensive and the closest I have found to homemade. I have made homemade, but that is another story, (only once).
This recipe calls for onions and I must confess that I have never put them in. I just can’t get my mind around onion with sauerkraut. I do use all the rest though, especially the caraway seed.
I buy country style spareribs instead of baby back or the regular ribs. You pay so much for the bones and no meat, which I have a problem with. This time I bought the country style spareribs with the bone in as they were on sale. Normally I buy the boneless. I am not sure how they are cut, but at least you get meat. I use country style for BBQ ribs also. Too cheap to waste grocery money on bones I guess. This dish works well with thick cut pork chops also, or pork steak.
Spareribs and Sauerkraut
2 to 4 Tablespoons salad oil
3 pounds spareribs
2 large onions, sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup boiling water (part brandy optional)
1 1 pound 13 ounce can sauerkraut
¼ to ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cooking apple, pared, cored and grated.
In hot fat in a Dutch oven, saute spareribs until brown on both sides. Add onion; saute until tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add water (I use about ½ of the amount of water as brandy and the rest water). Simmer covered 1 ½ hours, if using country style or one hour for regular ribs. Move spareribs to one side of Dutch oven; place sauerkraut; caraway seeds, and apple on other side; cook, covered another 30 minutes. Season to taste.
You can, and I usually do, bake this in a slow oven instead on the stove top. About 325° for one and a half hours, and then add the sauerkraut and bake about 45 minutes longer. Saves having to keep an eye on it.
To serve, arrange ribs on one side of platter and lift sauerkraut from liquid and arrange on other side of platter. Serve with your choice of potatoes (baked are good if you are using the oven) and hot rolls. Great on a cool rainy day.
Myrna,
ReplyDeleteDo you remember Grandma making these in her shallow rectangular "granite-ware" baking pan? In the oven, as you mention?
Guess I'm going to have to make this recipe soon.
My mouth is watering!! I have ribs in the freezer and sauerkraut in the pantry. Here in Indiana it is a warm day but it is going to turn quite cool tomorrow. Odds are this may be the last really warm day we have(90's). I will be making your recipe before the weeks end. Thank you for the delightful posts. I always look forward to "what's up at your house"!!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds interesting, found it looking for spareribs in the Dutch oven recipes. I think it will taste a real "Kraut" ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Remblinghausen/Germany
Nice to hear from our overseas readers. As we are of mostly German descent it is fun to hear from Germany.
ReplyDeleteGlad you think this will taste like a real Kraut. Our weather is cooling off and this will be on the menu again.
Hi Myrna,
Deletea little missunderstanding, I mean, that this recipe will taste a German too, Kraut= Nickname of the Germans in WW 1 and 2 by American and Englisch soldiers, so its with an eyetwinkle :-) But I think your Sauerkraut will be good as German Sauerkraut too !! I am an reenactor of the American Civil War, and as Civillian from 1855 to 1875, and I do Dutch Oven cooking with a 10" and a 12" deep. Some of my realtion went to America Beetween 1830 and 1870. I found your side by looking for recipes from descendant of German Immigrants, to cook them on historical camps here in Germany.
OK, that is funny. And yes, people of German Descent are sometimes called Krauts here.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you do the the American Civil War. I would think the ribs and kraut would work well in a Dutch oven.