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Slow-Roasted Pork with Sauerkraut, Apples and Dried Fruits
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Rich, succulent roasted pork with a savory-sweet mix of sauerkraut and fruits. What’s not to love? We adapted Olia Hercules’ recipe from her book “Summer Kitchens,” making the recipe a one-pan endeavor. That pan needs to be a large roasting pan to accommodate the roast, and you’ll also need a sturdy V-style roasting rack—the type with handles—plus extra-wide foil. When shopping for the roast, seek out a bone-in pork butt (sometimes called Boston butt), which is cut from the upper shoulder of the animal. A picnic roast, often sold skin-on, is a different cut, from an area lower down on the shoulder; a roast labeled simply as “pork shoulder” is likely a picnic roast, but it’s best to check with the butcher, as nomenclature can be confusing. As for the sauerkraut, look for the “fresh” type sold in the refrigerator case near the pickles; shelf-stable jarred sauerkraut has a soft, mushy texture in comparison. Bubbies is a widely available brand that works well in this recipe. To coarsely grind the caraway and fennel seeds, use an electric spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.
8 to 10
Servings
Tip
Don’t forget to rinse and drain the sauerkraut, otherwise its saltiness will be overwhelming. After removing the roast from the oven after the first three hours of cooking, don’t forget to reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
6 hours
30 minutes active
7 to 8 pound bone-in pork butt roast (see headnote)
7 tablespoons dijon mustard, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, divided
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, coarsely ground, divided
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely ground, divided
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds refrigerated sauerkraut (see headnote), rinsed and drained (about 6 cups)
1 large red onion, root end intact, cut into ½-inch wedges
6 ounces (1 cup) pitted prunes, halved
6 ounces (1 cup) dried apricots, halved
2 firm-textured apples, such as Honeycrisp or Fuji, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
Ingredients
-
7 to 8
pound bone-in pork butt roast (see headnote)
-
7
tablespoons dijon mustard, divided
-
¼
cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, divided
-
4
medium garlic cloves, minced
-
2
tablespoons caraway seeds, coarsely ground, divided
-
2
tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely ground, divided
-
1
tablespoon ground coriander
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
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3
pounds refrigerated sauerkraut (see headnote), rinsed and drained (about 6 cups)
-
1
large red onion, root end intact, cut into ½-inch wedges
-
6
ounces (1 cup) pitted prunes, halved
-
6
ounces (1 cup) dried apricots, halved
-
2
firm-textured apples, such as Honeycrisp or Fuji, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
Directions
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01Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Set a V-rack in a large roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, score the fat side of the roast in a ½-inch crosshatch pattern.
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02In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons of the mustard, the ¼ cup vinegar, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the caraway, 1 tablespoon of the fennel, the coriander and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Measure 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate. Rub the remaining mustard mixture onto the pork, coating all sides.
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03Set the pork scored side up on the rack. Add 6 cups water to the roasting pan, then cover tightly with extra-wide foil. Roast for 3 hours, then remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Uncover the pork and, using potholders or oven mitts, carefully transfer the V-rack with the roast to a rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the roasting pan and use a wide spoon to remove and discard the fat from the surface of the liquid; leave the liquid in the pan.
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04To the roasting pan, add the sauerkraut, onion, prunes, apricots, apples, the remaining 1 tablespoon caraway, the remaining 1 tablespoon fennel, 1 teaspoon pepper and the reserved mustard mixture. Stir, then push the sauerkraut mixture to the edges of the roasting pan, creating a clearing in the center to allow air to circulate under the roast. Pour 1½ cups water into the pan and return the V-rack with the pork to the pan. Continue to roast until the center of the pork reaches 195°F and a skewer inserted into the thickest part meets just a little resistance, about another 2 hours.
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05Transfer the pork without the rack to a cutting board and let rest uncovered for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the rack from the roasting pan, then mix the sauerkraut mixture in the roasting pan with the juices accumulated in the pan. Stir in ½ cup water, the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar; if needed, stir in additional water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauerkraut mixture is slightly saucy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
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06Remove the bone from the pork (it should slide out easily). Slice the pork against the grain about ½ inch thick. Transfer the sauerkraut mixture to a serving platter, then arrange the pork on top.
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Reviews
July 27, 2022
very good dish
Let me preface this by saying I created some of my own issues. I used as 5 pound plus boneless butt, I had to substitute mango for the apricots and I bought shelf bottled kraut rather than the refrigerated. That said, I've been cooking long enough to compensate. My pork reached 195 degrees in the first 3 hours, so I tented it reduced the kraut in the oven for an hour, then on the stovetop for a bit. The fat cap was still soft after 3 hours of steaming, so I bumped the oven temp to 450 and roasted for about another 15 minutes. I think the pork ended up where it needed to be and the sauce was essentially what we were looking for. That said, it was a tasty and unusual flavor combination, a sweet pork butt dish. Something I would make again, but not at the top of my many Milk Street favorites
November 23, 2022
Lovely Fall Meal
Absolutely loved it! Turned out very well. Next time I will need to make sure the foil isn't touching the top of the meat. I also found I didn't need to add more water even after the full amount of time in the oven. I really went over board sealing the meat in there. That was a mistake. But I still made it work and the flavors were spot on. If I do a smaller roast next time, I'll start checking it on the lower end of the time and then finish it at 350 until it gets to 190.
Hi Jonathan -
The temperature is correct here. This recipe uses the roasting technique we learned when developing our Cuban pork recipe. You can find an explanation of the technique here - https://www.177milkstreet.com/2017/03/quit-stalling-and-other-tips-for-better-roast-pork.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
There are only two of us, so I cut the recipe in half (about a 4 lb pork roast). I’m not sure what to about the cooking time, though. I assume the pork needs less time in total, but the same amount of time when the prunes, etc. are cooking. Is that correct?
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Your First Issue
Is the temp correct for this recipe? It seeems awfully.high for a slow roasted pork.