Pork Loin Braised with Cabbage

RECIPE

Pork is typically served with cabbage at the German table. Use red cabbage, if you like, for slightly sweeter flavor. You can prepare the dish a day ahead, and chill overnight. Cut the roast into 1/4-inch slices. Gently reheat the meat in cabbage mixture in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 3/4 cup cabbage mixture)

Ingredients
4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
Cooking spray
3/4 cup diced Canadian bacon (about 4 ounces)
14 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 2 pounds)
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrot (about 1)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark lager

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and sage; rub over pork. Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan.

Add bacon to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add cabbage, onion, and carrot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilt, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste, remaining 2 teaspoons paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, caraway seeds, and lager. Return pork to pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours or until tender. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Nutritional Information
Calories:255 (32% from fat)
Fat:9g (sat 3.3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g)
Protein:28.7g
Carbohydrate:11.9g
Fiber:3.7g
Cholesterol:76mg
Iron:1.7mg
Sodium:596mg
Calcium:84mg

German cooking@home
by cooking mania

Cinnamon Stewed Apples

RECIPE

A terrific companion for ham or pork, this recipe can be doubled easily, and will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. The sauce is somewhat thin just after cooking, but it will thicken upon standing.

Yield
2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients
6 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 45 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Let stand 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories:121 (3% from fat)
Fat:0.4g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g)
Protein:0.2g
Carbohydrate:31.3g
Fiber:2.3g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Iron:0.4mg
Sodium:42mg
Calcium:19mg

German cooking@home
by cooking mania

Rubbed Pork Loin with Apricot Glaze and Sauerkraut

RECIPE

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 3 tablespoons sauerkraut mixture)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 cup sliced onion
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1/2 cup apricot preserves, divided
1/2 cup water

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl; rub spice mixture evenly over pork. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer pork to an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add onion and sugar to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add drained sauerkraut to pan; sauté 1 minute. Arrange sauerkraut mixture around pork in baking dish. Brush pork with one third of apricot preserves. Pour 1/2 cup water over sauerkraut mixture.

3. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Brush pork with one-third of apricot preserves; bake for 10 minutes. Brush pork with remaining apricot preserves; bake for 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with onion mixture.

Beer note: While the German purity law may not permit fruit in beer, a German dish like this is enhanced by an apricot microbrew, like Dogfish Head's Aprihop ($2.50 per 12-ounce bottle), released each spring. The apricot flavor in this pale ale is fresh but subtle, balanced with plenty of dry, hoppy bitterness to contrast the sweet apricot-glazed pork. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information
Calories:236 (27% from fat)
Fat:7.1g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:24.5g
Carbohydrate:17.8g
Fiber:1.4g
Cholesterol:65mg
Iron:1.3mg
Sodium:505mg
Calcium:42mg

German cooking@home
by cooking mania