Simple Seasonal

Healthy Seasonal Recipes Inspired by Your Local Farm and CSA

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • How-To
  • Farm to Table
  • Playing With Food
  • Contact

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

December 28, 2018 By Rachel 9 Comments

Share13
Pin
Tweet
Yum21
Share
Flip
34 Shares

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut – Take a break from the holiday cleanup and pile on some good luck with our flavorful take on this traditional New Year’s favorite!

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

For the last hour I was supposed to be writing a blog post. Instead, I keep getting pulled into the allure of Ikea’s website. Tomorrow the hubs and I are taking the kids for a magical morning of weaving in and out of furniture displays and an ethnic lunch of Swedish meatballs and lingonberry juice.

This Christmas was an especially mad whirlwind of holiday cookies and family fun with packages, boxes, and bags flying everywhere. I think the kids were extra wound up and enthusiastic this year, too. Between that whole mess and the fact that I also worked 2nd shift on Christmas day I’m officially beat! The toy tornado has certainly taken a toll on my home (and, I have to admit, on my mood). I might even be feeling the teensiest bit Grinchy…

How to Make Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

Ikea has become a post-Christmas tradition in our family. With all of the “mom work” that the holiday entails it feels like a Swedish getaway for me. All those display beds and couches are so comfy. None of the displays have toys and their torn wrappings or cookie crumbs strewn everywhere. *bliss*

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

Normally on the day after Christmas I’m ready to get into the New Year’s fresh-starts-and-new-beginnings frame of mind. I’m a super type-A personality and I just love organization, goals, and meeting them. The last couple of years have been rough for goal-setting because I had a baby. The baby is now 2 and I feel like I’m finally starting to pull out of those high-mom-maintenance first 2 years of life. I’m ready to focus on more than just keeping the kids alive!

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

The first order of business for this New Year’s new beginning is to organize the kids’ toys and get them off of my living room floor! That’s where my beloved Ikea getaway comes in. I live in a small townhome. With Ikea’s Scandinavian roots, the store seems to “get” the needs of the space-challenged home. I’m thinking a wardrobe for James and some of that small storage for all of David’s action figures…

In addition to my family’s yearly Ikea getaway, I also start the year making my family pork and sauerkraut. This tradition goes all the way back to when my mom made it when I was a kid. Truth be told, it was always my least favorite holiday meal. I always find it kind of bland. Not nearly as exciting and Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam…

How to Make Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

The hubs, on the other hand, loves pork and sauerkraut. That means this porky tradition isn’t going anywhere. So the last few years I’ve been doing some pork and sauerkraut tweaking.

The end result is my Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut. The meat is tender and flavorful. It’s now actually something I look forward to starting my new year with! Since it’s made in a slow cooker all you have to do is plug it in and escape to Ikea for the day while it cooks! The perfect way to kick off your new beginning!

How to Make Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut 

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes

Take a break from the holiday cleanup and pile on some good luck with our flavorful take on this traditional New Year's favorite!

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lbs pork roast (shoulder, butt, or loin)*
  • 2 lbs prepared sauerkraut (do not drain juices)
  • 1 1/2 C chopped sweet yellow onion
  • 3/4 C light brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 3 Tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Prepare your pork roast if it hasn’t already been done by the butcher. You will want to remove the bone and tie the meat together with butcher's twine.**
  2. Layer the bottom of the slow cooker with the sauerkraut and place the pork roast on top of it.
  3. In a microwave-safe dish combine the yellow onion, light brown sugar, spices, and butter. Microwave on medium power for 1 minute and then stir to combine. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds on high power and mix until evenly combined. Pour the sweet onion and spice mixture over the pork roast. 
  4. Cook on high power in the slow cooker for 3.5-4 hours. 
  5. Once the pork is done cooking remove it from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Next, cut away and discard the butchers twine. Finally, slice to your desired thickness. This is best done with an electric knife. 
  6. Scoop the sauerkraut onto a serving plate with a slotted spoon so that some of the juice can run off. Arrange the sliced pork on top of the sauerkraut. Serve immediately***

Notes

*Pork butt is pictured here. My favorite cut is pork loin, but it was sold out at the grocery store!

**I found this website helpful for removing the bone. Also check out my post on How to Cut and Tie a Pork Tenderloin to see how to tie your meat together.

*** SERVING SUGGESTION: I recommend serving the traditional way, with mashed potatoes and sweet corn. 

© Rachel
Cuisine: Pennsylvania Dutch / Category: Recipes

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

You May Also Enjoy…

Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

tender pork loin with herb sauce

Tender Pork Loin with Herb Sauce

Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade

Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade

Get Your Next Meal In Your Inbox!

Enter your email address to get the latest recipes and relevant seasonal content on the blog!

I agree to have my personal information transfered to AWeber ( more information )

I will never give away, trade, or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Share13
Pin
Tweet
Yum21
Share
Flip
34 Shares

Filed Under: Cabbage, Dietary Needs, Entrees, Fall, Gluten-Free, Holidays, Meal Types, Meat, Eggs, and Dairy, New Year's Day, Pork, Recipes, Seasons, Slow Cooker, Specific Audiences, Vegetables, Winter Tagged With: brown sugar, fennel seed, Holidays, New Years Day, Onions, Pennsylvania Dutch, Pork, sauerkraut, slow cooker, sweet and tangy

« Phyllo Wrapped French Baked Brie
Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Green Soup »

Comments

  1. Karly says

    January 1, 2019 at 2:38 pm

    This recipe looks amazing and is super easy! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 3, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks Karly! I was going for easy!

      Reply
  2. Carol Borchardt says

    January 6, 2019 at 8:23 pm

    This looks really good and the photos are beautiful! We’re of East European descent so pork and sauerkraut are definitely one of our things! Going to try this for sure!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 9, 2019 at 2:32 pm

      Thanks Carol! My father’s side of the family is a combination of Pennsylvania Dutch and Polish so I don’t remember a New Year’s Day without Pork and Sauerkraut. I think it’s brought me some good luck over the years! I hope you enjoy this recipe too!

      Reply
  3. Saima says

    January 6, 2019 at 11:24 pm

    very interesting recipe and I love your clear step by step pictures! makes cooking it a cinch!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 9, 2019 at 2:32 pm

      I’m glad you found the photo directions helpful!

      Reply
  4. Katie says

    April 13, 2019 at 12:31 pm

    Love this recipe; we are big pork and sauerkraut fans. Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 16, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      I think you’ll like this then! My husband has always been a big pork and sauerkraut fan, but he particularly likes this version. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Matt says

    January 9, 2021 at 6:02 pm

    I love this recipe! So good! I have made it several times over the past couple of years.

    I made a couple of tweaks though:

    1. I leave the bone in. By the time I take it out of the slow cooker the meat just falls off the bone. No need to try to wrangle the bone out before cooking.
    2. My family, except me, does not like fennel so I don’t put it in. The flavour is still amazing.
    3. Like I said in #1, the meat falls apart. So I can’t really slice it however it makes awesome pulled pork. Recommend a good grainy sharp mustard and a firm bun to compliment it.

    I have used pork picnic shoulder all the times I’ve made it and it always has turned out amazing.

    I love that this recipe is sooo simple yet sooooo good!

    Enjoy!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


Recipes in Your Inbox!

Sign up to get free updates!

Search

Connect With Us

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Connect With Us!

If you're active on social media, you'll find Simple Seasonal there as well. Feel free to connect, share, and say hello!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Discover Fall Recipes

tandoori-chicken-kebabs
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Slow Cooker Apple Sauce
all natural funfetti cake with a slice being cut out
Apple cinnamon streusel muffins on a plate
Zucchini Bread with Butter and Brown Sugar
Grilled BBQ Dry Rubbed Pork Chops

Discover Fall Recipes

Quick and Easy Kale
Loaded Baked Denver Omelet Casserole
One-Pot Asian Meatballs with Bok Choy and Peanut Sauce
No Fuss Apple Wrapper Pie
Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

Copyright © 2021 · Simple Seasonal · Privacy Policy · ↑ Back to top

Privacy Policy