This German-inspired recipe combines pork chops and tangy sauerkraut in a simple one-dish meal.
Get delicious, juicy pork chops by starting with a good sear. Using a cast-iron skillet, this is a truly quick and easy dinner. Even if you don't have one, a baking dish is a perfect solution. The best part of this recipe is that you can have dinner on the table in under an hour.
Hearty Pork Chops and Sauerkraut
Ingredients:
- 4 pork chops (at least 1/2 inch thick)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 TBSP. vegetable oil
- 1 apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 15-ounce can of sauerkraut, drained
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Season the pork chops liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat up the vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, then sear the pork chops for 3 minutes on each side. Set them aside on a plate while you work on the sauerkraut.
- Add the apple and onion to the pan and sauté them lightly for about a minute.
- Add the drained sauerkraut and sugar, then mix well to combine.
- Return the pork chops to the pan and cover them with the sauerkraut mixture.
- Place the whole pan, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes. The chops are completely covered, so they won't dry out; don't worry!
- Serve with mustard on the side.
Variations:
- A more traditional version would include sauerkraut with caraway seeds, but plain sauerkraut works just as well. If you like the flavor of rye bread, just add a teaspoon of caraway seeds to the sauerkraut mixture before baking in the oven.
- Use a tart baking apple, like a Granny Smith or Empire, for this dish.
- This is a somewhat heavy dish, so serve it with boiled, glazed carrots or a nice salad to round out the meal.
