Beer Braised Pork Chops With Cabbage, Apples And Caraway

Frigid weather and Eastern European flavors were built for one another. Hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare is just what the doctor ordered when outside temps seem more suited to the frozen tundra of the far, far (FAR) north than to Western Pennsylvania.

Morning temps of -10, -8, -4 demand substantial fuel for our bodies to warm us up and get us through the workday until we're once again home...preferably snuggled under an afghan next to a roaring fire. (Can't you just picture a golden lab sleeping peacefully in front of the fireplace while you cradle a mug of steaming cider between your slowly thawing hands?)

What might such a dinner consist of? Pork. And bacon. Cabbage and beer! Here's a dish that's sure to warm you from the inside out.....

Beer Braised Pork Chops 

With Cabbage, Apples And Caraway

• 4 slices thick sliced peppered bacon, cut across into 1/2" lardons 
• 4  1" thick bone-in center cut loin pork chops 
• salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 T. Butter
• 1 small head of cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed and sliced across into 1/2" slices - about 12 C, more or less
• 1 large tart apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 1 T butter
• 2 T dark brown sugar
• 3 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 t caraway seeds (optional, but it really makes a difference!)
• 12 oz. bottle of beer (I used gluten free beer to make this GF)

In a large electric skillet, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet. Add 1 T butter to the skillet, melt it with the bacon fat.

Season the chops on both sides with salt & pepper and brown them on both sides in the skillet. Remove to a plate.

Add 1 T butter to skillet again and melt. Add the cabbage, apple and onion. Stir and let it soften. Add brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, 1 1/2 t kosher salt, caraway seeds and the reserved bacon. Stir everything together well. 

Add the pork chops back into the skillet, nestling them into the cabbage mixture. Spoon some of the mixture over the pork chops. 

Pour the bottle of beer over all, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about an hour until the pork chops are tender, but the cabbage mixture is still moist. (Add a little water, if necessary.)

Just add a salad or a veggie of some type...and definitely a nice dark pumpernickel to complete the meal!

Christmas Vacation, Edible Souveniers and Gypsy Kielbasa Unstuffed Cabbage

After a refreshing break, I'm back in gear once again and ready to go grab the New Year for all it's worth. (Ciao 2014, glad to see YOU in the rearview mirror!) 

This post might just as well be titled "What I Did On My Winter Vacation" and it's complete with lots of photos. Be grateful there isn't a slide show ala the 50's and 60's! (At least I would have served up some decent party foods and more than a few cocktails to make for an interesting evening.)

Where did I go? Baltimore. Yes, once again. It's so close and there is SO much going on all over! We visited old favorite spots and checked out new (to us, anyway) restaurants and bars...one we felt so comfortable in, we went back the next night! (Yes, I'm talking about YOU, Rye!)

Come on! Let's go on a guided tour. I just wish you could be feeling the warm sun and 60 degree weather we had IN DECEMBER(!) nearly the entire time we were there. Once we're done, there will be a new recipe for an easy, comfort food kinda dinner for the fam or company. Ready? Let's go!

No, it didn't take long to hit our favorite spot...you all know by now it's Bad Decisions. Let it be known that we DID check in to the Admiral Fell Inn first and even had a quick bite across the street before entering.

Really. There was food involved too...Ale Mary's is KNOWN for their tots! We enjoyed the Reuben tots....YUM!

Okay, I digress...back to Bad Decisions. AND Ostrowski's Home Made Sausage! John Reusing, owner of Bad Decisions, bought the sausage factory next door recently. Along with the famous Ostrowski family recipes, one massive smoker came along with the deal. What a find for the bar famous for Beer and Bacon nights! 

Kimber and I, and our dear friends Marti and Meredith, were favored with a private tour of the historic shop along with some excellent sampling. We left with containers of Sriracha sauerkaut, gypsy kielbassa (LOTS of black pepper!) and good spicy and smoky andouille.

Ostrowski's by night. (Photo credit: John Reusing)

On to the next stop!

Rye (see above, we stopped here BOTH nights in town!) is sexy as hell, if you're a cocktail afficianado. We are. Don't miss one of Doug and Dan's classic or original creations. Obviously, with a visit both Friday and Saturday nights, Kimber and I are fans. BIG fans! 

Tots seemed to be the noshing theme of the night. On the way back to the hotel, we made a stop at a new-to-us spot on South Broadway. 

Look at the size of the crab lumps in these Crabby Tots at Alexanders's Tavern! And for me, they have an extensive gluten-free menu. Apparently that's what happens when both the owner AND chef are celiac. 

Back to the hotel for a good rest....LOTS to do tomorrow!

Good morning, Fells Point! You're beautiful! (The view from our windows...not too shabby, eh?)

Starting the day at Slainte (where soccer is religion!)...and yes, a substantial breakfast followed. The housemade corned beef hash was particularly incredible! (Note to self...more effort must be made on photographing food, not just cocktails.) 

And now, our morning walk.

Dragon boats at the Inner Harbor. Notice the National Aquarium in the background?

Um...the Chesapeake. Duh.

From there, we stopped at shops galore and walked along the water the entire way back to Fells Point. Such a walkable area! Along the way, we noticed Brian Voltaggio's Family Meal nestled into the Power Plant by the other side of the aquarium. Temporary signs were in place and it looked as if it were ready to open at any time. After we got home, I saw that was their opening day. Missed opportunity! (The Frederick, MD Family Meal is a favorite spot of Kimber's and mine to stop on the way back to Pittsburgh.) 

Of course, our walk included a pause at The Horse You Came In On...complete with a wee sample of the Jack Daniels vanilla infusion. Happy moment WITH live music during the day!

Once back at the hotel, it was time for a nap before heading out once more. On the way to dinner at Lobo, there were a few dalliances at familiar watering stations along the way; Riptide By The Bay ("where the locals lounge"), the Waterfront Hotel (if you watched Homicide any time during its long run, this is the bar the cops bought). 

With the sun starting to lower in the sky, it was a cool, crisp walk to Canton on the far side of the harbor. And absolutely lovely.

And there was this "sailing" down Aliceanna Street heading for Canton. Captain James Landing is quite the landmark!

At last, we arrived at our destination for our evening's repast. Lobo is a new and thoroughly delightful restaurant on the scene in the Fells Point/Canton area of Baltimore. It came highly recommended by John Reusing, the owner of both Bad Decisions and Ostrowski's. He was SO right!

One gorgeous charcuterie board at Lobo! (BTW, Lobo = the Spanish word for Wolf...and the restaurant is on  the corner of Aliceanna and WOLF Streets!)

Crab fingers in the dead of winter and luscious shrimp cocktail. Oh, and a kickass cocktail to boot!

A slow walk back to the hotel, another stop at Bad Decisions (a GOOD decision), and nitey nite.

Good morning, Baltimore! (Cue song from Hairspray). No beautiful sunrise this morning. It was dreary. Who cares, we'd experienced warm 60 degree weather the entire trip and rain on the way home would be no big deal. And from here on we'd be driving to our destinations anyway. We had reservations for brunch at the esteemed Woodberry Kitchen in Hampden awaiting!

Nope, that's not Woodberry Kitchen. It IS the kitschy and delightful Cafe Hon in Hampden, home of Honfest. We were running early and stopped for a cuppa Joe.

Look who was waiting for us inside! Who knew Elvis was an ugly Christmas sweater fan?!

Finally at Woodberry Kitchen with a brunch cocktail. We HAD to, it was Doctor's Orders! (Name of the cocktail, really! It included carrot shrub, so you KNOW it was good for you.)

Well, look at that...I remembered to take a pic of our food. Cheese grits on the right, and on the main plate, housemade maple sausage and their own bacon. The toast was the most wonderful gluten-free bread I've ever had. Owner/chef Spike Gjerde's wife is celiac so they KNOW their GF!

Once full and happy, we headed for one last stop before hitting the road. We always peruse the aisles of the local spirits stores looking for the new and unusual.

What an extensive collection of wines, spirits, beers, bitters, charcuterie...everything you'd ever need for your very own party extrordinaire!

Well, look at that. Right in the heart of one of the hippest areas of Baltimore, we found a little bit of Pittsburgh. Hello, Wigle!

So cool finding a bit of the 'Burgh in the heart of Baltimore. And now, since I brought back a bit of Baltimore to the 'Burgh, the promised recipe using our treasured Sriracha sauerkraut and Gypsy sausage from Ostrowski's. Don't you just love delicious, edible souvenirs?!    

Gypsy Kielbasa Unstuffed Cabbage

• 1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
• 3/4 of a large onion, diced
• 1 LARGE potato, scrubbed, peel left on and sliced thinly

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 3 T minced onion
• 1 T Crazy Salt
• 3 T jalapeno ketchup (Heinz makes it and we can't live without it!)
• 1 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 lb Ostrowski's Sriracha sauerkraut, drained - RESERVE JUICE* - optional, regular sauerkraut or add Sriracha to a pound of fresh sauerkraut to taste (or wait for John to get online ordering up and running for Ostrowski's!)
• 1 lb fresh, Ostrowski's unsmoked gypsy kielbassa, fried until browned on the outside and sliced into rounds - again, use regular unsmoked or wait for online ordering at Ostrowski's!
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, mix together the filling ingredients: ground beef through Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

In a lasagna or other casserole dish, layer the diced cabbage, diced onion and sliced potatoes. Dollop beef mixture on top. 

Dollops of filling while the dish is in progress.

Cover with sauerkraut, tomatoes & rounds of kielbassa. Cover dish securely with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes. Check to be sure the potatoes and cabbage are cooked thoroughly and give it another half hour if not soft and tender. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. 

Makes great leftovers!

*Why reserve the sauerkraut juice? For picklebacks, of course! What's a pickleback? A shot of Jameson IMMEDIATELY followed by a shot of picklejuice, or in this case, sriracha sauerkraut juice. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 

Apple Caraway Sauerkraut Slaw

It's been a while since I've done a quickie - fast to make with a few ingredients - a few words to tell about it. It's time!
 
Apple Caraway Sauerkraut Slaw is perfectly designed for Autumn. As fall is a segue between warm and cold weather, this slaw combines a fresh and crunchy summer cabbage slaw with sweet apples and tart cool weather sauerkraut.  The essence of autumn in a slaw, for sure.

Instead of a creamy dressing, a vinegar, sugar and honey dressing accents the mix. There's not much vinegar needed in the dressing compared to the amount of sugar and honey - sauerkraut helps to balance what might initially seem like too much sweetness. 

Can't you just imagine this tart/sweet treat on top of a beautifully browned brat or hot dog OR as a spiffy side dish?! Yeah, me too. With no further adieu....enjoy!

 Apple Caraway Sauerkraut Slaw

• 4 cups store-bought coleslaw mix
• 1/2 green pepper, slivered into 3/4" pieces
• 3/4 cup store-bought sauerkraut
• 1 small tart apple, skin on, cut into slivers

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup honey - you know I like my organic orange blossom honey!
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Combine all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
 
Combine all the slaw ingredients. Pour dressing over slaw. Mix very well. Serve.
 
That's it!

Told you it was a quickie!

Buffalo Bleu Coleslaw

Whew! It's been a busy couple of weeks! There's hardly been time to cook, let alone blog about it. 

Tonight it was time to take a little break, sit back and chill, throw a couple of steaks on the grill and make the side dishes simple. So I did.

Every once in a while I post what I call a "quickie," and yes, this is one of them. It might have taken all of 2 minutes to put together a slaw that both Mark and I think is the best slaw I've ever made. 

Packaged slaw mix, mayo, the sweet/tart balance of vinegar and sugar, Tabasco's new Buffalo Style Hot Sauce and bleu (or blue, if you prefer!) cheese tossed together in a hurry and ready to pile on plates. Yep, it's essentially Buffalo wing coleslaw. A little sweet, a little heat and a whole lot delicious!

Buffalo Bleu Coleslaw

• 4 cups packaged coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage if you're feeling all industrious)
• 1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled - extra for garnish, if you wish

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, the Buffalo Style Hot Sauce variety (it's relatively new...look for it in the hot sauce aisle!)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Put the coleslaw mix into a large bowl. Set aside.
 
Mix the mayo, vinegar, sugar, Tabasco and salt together until smooth.
 
Pour the sauce over the slaw, sprinkle with bleu cheese. Toss gently, but thoroughly. Serve.
 
Garnish with extra bleu cheese crumbles, if desired.
 
NOTE: Use lite mayo and Splenda to lower the calories...beach time isn't far away!

Saturday Sauerkraut-Making at The Butterjoint

Here's a math problem for you:  
        1 huge batch of thinly sliced veggies
        + salt
        + time = ?
 
The answer is sauerkraut! 

Butterjoint, the new cocktail lounge that is part of Legume restaurant on N. Craig Street in Oakland tweeted recently they were holding a FREE sauerkraut making class -  first come, first served who responded to the Tweet. I hopped right onto that offer...my German heritage, and perhaps the spirits of my frugal German ancestors, wouldn't let me pass up that deal!
 

Tyler (left) and Trevett (right)

Six sauerkraut making neophytes gathered in the gleaming, pristine stainless steel kitchen that serves both Butterjoint and Legume. Trevett, Executive chef, and Tyler demonstrated the technique involved in the proper preparation of the soon-to-be fermented produce. Then the hands-on fun began. 

We each got our own cutting board and selected a damned sharp knife. Cabbages were plucked from plastic tubs on the counter to give our own amateur knife skills a whirl. Cabbage wasn't the only veggie waiting to be shredded...rutabagas, celeriac, turnips, carrots, kohlrabi, onions and parsnips waited to make a delightful melange of flavors. No plain Jane stuff going on here, this was going to be sauerkraut with pizzazz!  

As our busy, but careful (sharp knives, you know) group sliced and slivered our way through pounds of veggies, we deposited the fruits (veggies?) of our labors into a giant rectangular plastic bin. Slowly, but surely, the mound grew until it weighed enough to be able to end up with a quart jar of goodies for each person in the class. 

Three tablespoons of salt for each five pounds of shredded cabbage and vegetables was sprinkled over the jumble of veggie confetti. Then the muscle power kicked in. 

Developing both sauerkraut AND muscles!

Each of us took our turn mixing, kneading and squeezing the mishmash with salt until there was a bin of vegetables that had exuded liquid to become the wet mass we were looking for.


Layer by layer we tightly packed and tamped salted, wet veggies into into our own quart jars. Trevett and Tyler used a wider mouth jar and a wine bottle for the compression process - more efficient than our small ladles or muddlers.

Taking the mixture to the very top of the container and being sure to have enough liquid to cover it all, the jars were capped and the waiting began. We were cautioned to "burp" our jars regularly and not to tighten them too much.  

How long until we finally get to enjoy our very own, good-for-you homemade (okay, restaurant kitchen-made) fermented veggies? That depends on you. Trevett recommended you taste it in a couple of days to see how you like it and occasionally after that until it suits your own tastes. His advice was to refrigerate it until used once it reaches the sourness you like.

Why go to all this trouble? For starters, anything homemade tastes better than canned or store-bought and the canned variety. 

Then there's the health benefit. Just like live-culture yogurt, the fermentation process develops beneficial bacteria that's good for your body and for your gut. Store bought sauerkraut kills the live bacteria in the canning process.  It might taste good, but the health benefit is lost. 

Another big positive is being able to ferment whatever veggie selection strikes your fancy at the moment...and whatever is in season at the time. Probably the best reason of all is that it just tastes good.  Well, that and it was a hell of a lot of fun.          

Will I do this again?  Already I'm making a list of the combos I want to try....cabbage, onion and apple with caraway seeds is next on my list! That should be perfect for my Winekraut from last fall.  

Winekraut Casserole with Bratwursts and Dumplings

 
I've already checked into buying my very own sauerkraut crock. Ace Hardware has a great one at a very reasonable price.  You hear that Santa?

Apple Jalapeno Slaw

What are you cooking this weekend?  If the weather cooperates, grills all over the Burgh will be cranked up....and lots of burgers, steaks, chicken and hot dogs will be sizzling away soon.  Go away, rain!  

Quite coincidentally, Kimber and I have both been working on slaw recipes.  What better to serve with just about anything on the grill, right?  Both are little twists on the classic. 

The Apple Jalapeno Slaw is my version of the fantastic slaw I've enjoyed so many times at Smoke BBQ Taqueria in Homestead.  Have you been there yet?  No?  Get you butt over there! Here's a link to the Yelp reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/smoke-homestead-2

Anyhoo...my version of Nelda's slaw has no mayo, just slaw mix, apples and jalapeno with an oil and cider vinegar dressing.  Crisp, light, refreshing and just the right crunch, heat & sweet alongside those proteins off the grill.

Apple Jalapeno Slaw

• 1 package coleslaw mix
• 1 apple, cored, quarter, sliced thinly - leave the peel on for color and texture
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, quartered lengthwise & sliced VERY thinly - shaved almost (use less if you like less heat)

•  1/3 c. canola oil
• 2 T. cider vinegar 
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 t. granulated garlic

Toss the coleslaw mix, apple and jalapeno together and set aside.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and granulated garlic together until emulsified and pour over slaw mix.  Toss together and serve.

Good Old (New Fashioned) Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage - just a little bit lighter.

Whether you call it golumpki, holupki, sarma or even hand grenades, Sunday’s here in Pittsburgh sometimes come with a big ole pan of stuffed cabbage.  Yep, yet another hearty, stick-to-your-ribs winter dish to fuel your inner furnace on a cold, blustery day. 

I know what you’re thinking right now…but Linda, you said you were going to be making healthy food for a while.  And I am.  Each stuffed cabbage roll has ONLY (approximately) 175 calories and only 7 total grams of fat.   

I changed up the recipe and used half ground chicken and half extra lean ground beef to help cut the count here...I also used brown rice instead of white to help bump up the nutrition, but even without making those adjustments stuffed cabbage was always pretty doggone healthy anyway. With the cabbage and sauerkraut,  there's LOTS of fiber, too!  (Whatever happened to “roughage”? That poor word must feel neglected and uncool these days.)

Tradition in our house means serving mashed potatoes alongside…with just a little tomato-y pan juice drizzled over the snowy white mound for me, a big pat of butter for the hubby.  I’m skipping the potatoes myself, but I wouldn’t make Mark do without…besides which, I couldn’t bear seeing those sad blue eyes if I didn’t make them especially for him! 

Good Old (New Fashioned) Stuffed Cabbage

Makes approximately 18 rolls

 

• 1 head green cabbage leaves, cut core from bottom, put entire whole head in large pot, core end down in about 4" of water, cook until cabbage is nearly cooked through. Drain and cool
• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 cup brown rice, the instant variety
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted!
• 1 can sauerkraut, Bohemian kind or with caraway seeds or plain if you - don't like caraway seeds...I do, juice drained and RESERVED

• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 can tomato soup (To make this gluten-free, use the Heinz brand found in the import section of the grocery store.  This is from England.  It isn't condensed.)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
 

While cabbage is cooling, mix together ground beef, rice, onion, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, ranch dressing mix, reserved sauerkraut juice and 1/2 a can of the tomatoes.  Mix well.
 

Spread the sauerkraut evenly in the bottom of a 9 X 12 (or equivalent) baking pan. 
 

Separate cabbage leaves.  Take 1 cabbage leaf, use about 1/4 c. meat mixture and place it at the stem end of the leaf.  Fold in sides and roll up like a burrito.  Continue doing this until all the meat is gone and the pan is full.  As you assemble each roll, place it on top of the sauerkraut.  Tuck them tightly together if you need more room. When all the rolls are neatly in place, coarsely chop the remaining cabbage leaves and scatter over the top.  

 

The cabbage rolls just before going into the oven.

Mix the remaining tomatoes with the wine, tomato juice, tomato soup and sugar and pour evenly over the top of the rolls.   If your baking pan doesn't have a lid (mine doesn't) cover loosely with foil and bake for 3 hours. 
 

Serve as is or with mashed potatoes.

Traditional Thanksgiving Sauerkraut???

 

 Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Traditions abound across the U. S. when it comes to holidays and foods.  Having lived outside of Baltimore, MD for so many years (now in Pittsburgh), perhaps one of the oddest traditions I've encountered is that of serving sauerkraut with turkey.  Sure, it sounds unusual, but when you really ponder the combination, it makes sense...sauerkraut cuts the richness of the turkey quite nicely! 

It was back in the 60's in a typical, traditional Baltimore rowhouse in Peg's kitchen that I had my first experience with Thanksgiving sauerkraut.  Peg cooked her sauerkraut on top of the stove.  She nestled the turkey neck, and the rest of the stuff that comes in the bag inside the turkey, right down into the kraut, added some onions, too.  She let it simmer for several hours while the turkey roasted in the oven and added a little water if the sauerkraut started to get a little dry.  The turkey flavors mellowed out the sharpness of the kraut and it all melded together into a very nice dish that somehow worked with all the rest of the meal. I really liked it!

Since moving back to Pittsburgh, I never did sell the Pittsburghers on the sauerkraut dish. But, since all my relatives come from good old German stock, it wasn't difficult to substitute our family favorite sweet and sour red cabbage to get the same effect...and it's prettier!  

And that common Baltimore/Pittsburgh German connection?  My guess is the Baltimore tradition originated when a homesick German immigrant decided American Thanksgiving needed just a little bit of the Old Country.  And so, in the form of familiar sauerkraut, he gussied up dinner to make Thanksgiving his very own blend of old and new traditions.  And thus, theoretically, a New World Baltimore tradition was born...and still exists today.

Here's my traditional recipe:

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

• 2 slices bacon
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded (the food processor disk is great for this!)
• 1/4 C. cider vinegar
• 1/4 C. light brown sugar 
• 2 T. water
• 1/2 t. salt

In a large skillet (I love my electric skillet for this), fry the bacon until crisp and all fat is rendered into the pan.  Remove the bacon and use for something else - a snack perhaps?

To the bacon fat in the pan, add vinegar and brown sugar, water and salt.  Stir well.

Add the shredded cabbage and mix so that all cabbage is coated.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.  I usually do it until it turns a beautiful dark red color - it seems to get sweeter the darker it gets.  

Serve warm.  I like it cold the next day!

NOTE:  You can double this easily!