Braised Pork Belly Caraway Sauerkraut Potatoes Recipes

SLOW COOKER GERMAN-STYLE PORK ROAST WITH SAUERKRAUT AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Place the potatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper in a slow cooker; stir to coat. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper; lay atop the potatoes. Pour the sauerkraut over the roast; sprinkle with caraway seeds.
• Cook in slow cooker on Low 8 to 10 hours.

PORK AND SAUERKRAUT WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the sauerkraut, onion, apples, corn syrup, bay leaves, caraway and pepper. Spoon half into a 5-qt. slow cooker; top with potatoes. , Broil pork chops 6 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned; place over potatoes. Spoon remaining sauerkraut mixture over pork. , Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cook 4-5 hours longer or until meat is tender. Discard bay leaves.

BRINED-AND-BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH CARAWAY

Steps:

• Two days before serving the pork, prepare the brine: In a large skillet over low heat, toast the caraway seeds. Cool and grind in a spice grinder. In a large plastic container, combine the caraway, fennel, peppercorns, coriander, salt, brown sugar, garlic, cider vinegar and 4 cups water. Add the pork, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. In a braising pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and 2 tablespoons toasted caraway seeds to the pan. Brown the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Return the pork to the pan, skin side up. Pour in the apple cider and enough broth to cover the meat by three-fourths. Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Cool the pork in its cooking liquid and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Scrape off and discard excess fat from the braising liquid. Remove the pork and discard loose gelatin. Cut the pork into serving pieces and place in a wide saute pan with a heatproof handle. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and reduce by about two-thirds, or until it lightly coats the back of a spoon; strain. Pour just enough liquid over the pork to submerge halfway. Sprinkle with the remaining caraway seeds, then place the pan in the oven and heat through, basting occasionally. Top pork with sauce and serve with braised cabbage, a recipe for which can be found at nytimes.com/magazine.

BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully place one piece of pork in the saute pan and sear, turning once, until golden. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork. Set aside.
• Carefully add the beer to the drippings in the pan and cook, scraping up the cooked bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced.
• Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a large flame-proof roasting pan over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the pork to the roasting pan. Add the deglazed pan juices and enough chicken stock to cover the pork and vegetables. Add the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves and 2 generous pinches of salt. Cover the pan with foil and braise for 3 hours. Remove the foil and roast 30 minutes more. This will allow the pork to gain a beautiful color and for the braising liquid to reduce.
• Let the pork cool in the braising liquid for 30 minutes to increase tenderness. Remove the pork from the roasting pan and strain the braising liquid. Refrigerate separately until ready to use. The pork can be served sliced or shredded.

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the drained sauerkraut in the insert of a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, caraway seeds, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries or gin, and black pepper. Combine them thoroughly with a fork or with your hands. Scatter the kielbasa on top and bury the hocks in the sauerkraut. Pour in the wine and broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 hours, until the juices are bubbling and the sauerkraut has lost its crunch.
• Remove the smoked hocks. If there is any meat on them, remove it and add it to the sauerkraut. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the braised sauerkraut as is with boiled potatoes, or use as a base for choucroute garni.

BRAISED PORK BELLY CARAWAY SAUERKRAUT & POTATOES

Steps:

• To Cure the Pork Remove the skin from the pork belly (if the butcher hasn't done this for you). Using a sharp knife, score the fat side in a crisscross pattern, making cuts about ¼ inch deep. Stir together the salt, sugar, parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Rub the mixture all over the pork, especially into the scored fat. Place half the remaining cure mixture in a large shallow pan or baking dish and press the pork into it, meat-side down. Press the remaining mixture over the pork, cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours. To Braise the Belly Brush as much of the cure mixture from the pork as possible. Pour just enough oil into a large, heavy sauté pan to cover the bottom and place the pan over low heat. Put the pork in the pan fat-side down and slowly render until golden brown, about10 minutes. Turn the pork and brown the side with the meat. Remove the pork to a platter and carefully pour off about half of the rendered fat from the pan. Add the onions and caraway seeds to the pan and cook for 5 minutes: The onions should be limp but not fully tender, and the caraway aromatic. Stir the sauerkraut into the pan and heat it through. Nestle the pork belly in the pan and tuck in the rosemary as well. Pour in the wine, cover the pan, and slowly braise the pork until fork-tender, about 2 ½ hours. Check about every 45 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan, adding water if necessary. About 20 minutes before the pork is done, add the potatoes; cook until they are fork-tender but still have the slightest touch of a bite to them. Slice the pork into thick slabs and serve on a platter over the potatoes and sauerkraut. Accompany the pork with a dish or a dollop of mustard.