April 16th, 2011
German Pork ‘N Cabbage Casserole, Comfort Food, Recipe, Easy
I don’t know what happened to our spring weather. It seems, no sooner do I put my fleece in the closet, I have to take it out again. Damp, chilly, soon to be a rainy day. I tried this recipe, changed it and added a few things. You know, made it my own. Hope you like it.
Pork ‘N Cabbage Casserole
6 slices bacon
6 country-style pork ribs
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bag of coleslaw mix (14 or 16 ounce bag)
1 large onion
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
1 apple, chopped (I chose a Gala because I am hooked on those apples)
1 cup julienne carrots (easier from a 10-oz bag than doing it yourself)
3/4 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used Splenda blend)
1/4 to 1/3 cup of Apple Cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsps. caraway seed
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a deep 13 x 9 baking dish.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet, place on paper towels and then crumble and place in a small bowl. Wait, don’t throw the grease out.
Sprinkle the ribs liberally with pepper. You do not need salt; there is enough in the bacon.
Then, in the bacon grease, sear them over medium high heat 3 to 4 minutes. You might need to do them in 2 batches. I know, bacon grease, is not good but everything in moderation right? You would not eat this every day. So splurge a little.
Cook the ribs on the skillet turning them just once. Take out and put it the baking dish. Continue with the next batch, if you need to.
Don’t throw the drippings out, you still need them.
In that same skillet, cook coleslaw mix and onion over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until softened and wilted. Remove from heat.
Add to the cabbage mixture, bacon, sauerkraut, apple, carrots, cider, brown sugar, vinegar, and caraway seeds. Mix well and adjust seasonings. You might want more vinegar, brown sugar or caraway seeds. If you do, then you know what to do.
Then, spoon that mixture on top of ribs.
Cover, bake for 45 minutes. I baked mine about 1 hour, though.
I did not serve anything else with this dish. If I had served it for guests I would have added a salad or a green vegetable but it was substantial and enough for my family.
Make sure you spoon some of the juices on top. They are so good; a little tangy.
Note: This recipe is gluten free. Make sure you read the sauerkraut and bacon labels.
Enjoy!!! Talk to you later…..
Tags: Casseroles, Easy, German Port 'N Cabbage Casserole, Gluten Free, gluten free recipe, Recipe
