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Top 4 Mexican-inspired Recipes
In the mood for some Mexican-inspired dishes? Try these wonderful slow cooker favorites!

Here in Lancaster County, many people have roots in Pennsylvania Dutch traditions. It’s considered good luck to eat pork and sauerkraut as the first meal of the year on New Year’s Day.
And, honestly, with a side of mashed potatoes and applesauce, we don’t really care about the good luck. We just know that eating this will give us great pleasure, so that is good enough! Thank goodness pork and sauerkraut are standard restaurant fare the rest of the year, too.
Here is our slow cooker version of this time-honored tradition. Happy New Year!
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8-10 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
Ingredients:
16-oz. bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
1 red-skinned apple, chopped
2-3 lbs. country-style pork ribs
1 cup beer

1. Combine sauerkraut, onion, and apple in slow cooker.

2. Layer ribs over sauerkraut mixture.

3. Pour beer over ribs just before turning on cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.

Thank you! I love a lot of the recipes you psot, and i do try them out, then post them on my Facebook page. Yummy!!
me too..:o)>
Where do you find sauerkraut in a bag? Is it just cabbage chopped up? I want to try this recipe.
Carol, I find the bagged sauerkraut in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. I prefer the bagged kraut because to me it tastes fresher than the canned. Good luck
> Look in the cold section of your grocery store for sauerkraut in a bag….or go to canned vegetables for Frank’s sauerkraut, gedney’s ect….
Sauerkaraut in a bag is found by the refrigerated pickles in my grocery store. I think the hot dogs are also there. Look by that stuff in your store.
I’d prefer not to use the beer in the recipe. What are some suitable alternatives?
> Sheryll… try using water… it won’t add to the flavor though but less diskette then other liquids, or I’d try gingerale…
> Woops… that was supposed to be risky
> You might try apple juice.
I mix a can of cream of chicken soup in my sauerkraut….gives it a nice flavor. I’ve never tried the beer…
May I suggest using boneless ribs? I’ve made this dish in the past and find that the meat falls off the bones and the bones sometimes get lost in the sauerkraut, so I switched to boneless ribs.
what side can be used with this recipe
You could try to make spaetzle with this, mashed potatoe or potatoe dumplings for a side
Picked up some bagged wine sauerkraut in Germany this summer, so that’s what I’m using!
Minus the beer, I would think(?)….also adding caraway seed. Spaetzle & spinach salad as the sides, dark German yeast rolls w/ real butter, pear tarts for dessert….can’t wait, thank you for this idea!!!!
I have made this before or simalar . . Pork(any kind ribs baby back pork neck bones small roast). I use sourekraut, pork and cover with large can of tomatoes. Yummy
Instead of beer, I use a little water and brown sugar.
Tht’s a great idea, think I’ll try it, thanks!
>
Why does EVERYONE have to put alcohol in their dishes? No wonder our country is in such a bad way. What is wrong with stock or broth? They have a much better flavor than alcohol, and what if you serve this to someone who is allergic to alcolhol as my Mother is? Alot of us are on medications that aren’t to be taken with booze either. If there a chef or cook that cooks without it? They all use it on TV.
> Any alcohol will evaporate when cooked, either for a long while [such as slow cooker or stew] or on high heat [pan sauces], leaving flavor but not alcohol. Only foods NOT cooked or heated would have residual alcohol.
> Thank You for the clarification, Karen. As many times as it’s been explained, by as many chefs/cooks, a lot of people still don’t realize that
> Don’t you know that alcohol cooks out and that it makes the meat tender?
A tiny bit of caraway seeds are excellent in it also, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
My grandma always put dumplings in her sauerkraut and I always look forward to them every year. She passed away almost 3 years ago and I make the same meal every new years day. This sounds delicious!
> Cheryl, That sounds interesting and delicious. Do you have the recipe for the dumplings? I’ve never tried this, but would like to. Thanks!
Will have to try this one for sure. Love sauerkraut, I also make it with sausage and had potatoes.
Living in Ohio (go OSU Buckeyes!) for fifteen years, I was introduced to Polska Kielbasa and sauerkraut. Then, I moved to Oklahoma (go OSU Cowboys!) where the big thing is black-eyed peas. I cook all of it so I can’t be accused of being biased
you can find bagged kraut in your local grocery store in the meat section.. usually by the pork. never had canned kraut and wouldn’t want to.. yuk. I just took out a bag of kraut and a port roast to thaw in the fridge for Sunday… along with mashed potatoes. yummy stuff on a cold day.
> make that *PORK* roast
I think one could also use non alcoholic beer as well. Here in PA they don’t sell alcohol in the grocery stores but they do carry non alcoholic beer.
Actually. With the alcohol, I thought this as well and Alton Brown and the food lab show that was on food network both reported that only a certain amount of the alcohol cooks out. Not all of it. I think we should respect those who choose not to use alcohol as they cook regardless of allergies, spiritual,addiction or other reasons. I cook with alcohol on occassion but dutifully respect my guest who do not use alcohol. Tv cooks should give an alternative liquid for these folks. They eat as well. I actually prefer not to use it if there are alternatives available.
I usually make some form of pork n kraut, along with home-made mashed potatoes and a cabbage n noodles dish and serve warm buns or biscuits.
Oh here is a good article that fot deep into the alcohol question. They were surprised at their own results.,, http://www.ochef.com/165 htm. If this isnt right I googled cooking with alcohol. Very informative. Could save a life if deadly allergic as my cousin and a guy from my church are.
I always put 1 or 2 tbls brown sugar in my kraut, takes away that sour taste and towards the end to thicken it add some instant potatoes. Happy Eating
I have a recipe very similar to this, but it uses applesauce in place of the apples and adds 1 tsp. caraway seed and 1 T. brown sugar. I do not use the beer at all.
I’m happy to see the recipe calling for a diced apple–I don’t always have applesauce on hand and I think it would work just as well. Will give it a try very soon–New Year’s Day is just around the corner.
Love Fix It & Forget It recipes!
how can i get more of these recipes?
Hi Linda, Click on The Books tab above for more information about how to order the books in the Fix-It and Forget-It series. Thanks for your interest!
Love Boar’s head Brand bagged sauerkraut or Gundelsheim Sauerkraut in Glass Jar!
Picked up some bagged wine sauerkraut in Germany this summer, so that’s what I am using in the recipe! Minus the beer, I would think(?)….also adding caraway seed. Spaetzle & spinach salad as the sides, dark German yeast rolls w/ real butter, pear tarts for dessert….can’t wait, thank you FIAFI for this great idea!!!!
I love sauerkraut!! But I always use ‘sweet sauerkraut’ already has caraway in it! It’s right next to the regular. The use of beer is new tho! If you want to use the bagged, it is usually next to the pork in the meat section of the store. Just wanted to say I love these recipes but how do I print them? Do I buy the books to get them? I don”t mind but I don’t always have the money to get them! So I’ll go old school and copy!!
Hi Cookie, Click on The Books tab above for more information about how to order the books in the Fix-It and Forget-It series. Thanks for your interest!
Hoppin’ John is the traditional dish served on New Year’s Day in the south. The first thing you eat should be black-eyed peas for luck, so most people make them into Hoppin’ John.
Just wondering for those of you opposed to using alcohol in cooking….how do you make chicken marsala?
> I don’t imagine it would be made.
There are pkenty of alternatives to cooking with alcohol, though: stock, water, juice…the longer a food is cooked, the more alcohol cooks out when on a lower heat.
For those who are allergic to alcohol or are complaining about it being used in recipes, I hope you dont use any flavor extracts….they’re full of alcohol!
This post only addresses the spiritual side of food. Alcohol/ no alcohol etc.
in cooking….. Remember your Lord Jesus taught, “its not what goes into
a man’s stomach which defiles him, but what comes out of his heart.”
go and eat in peace. love, diana
I use country style but prefer regular ribs, just the taste I grew up with, and always use bay leaves, use bay leaves in any soups, chiles, wet cooking. My favorite sides is mashed potatoes and pok and beans or baked beans. Other thought… I like the taste of caraway seeds but not biting into them, a friend taught me to use a tea baller for spices to be with drawn.
Sounds good……I make something similer but I add brown sugar to the sauerkraut…..will add apples next time.