Recipe for pork chops with fresh sauerkraut

When you make sauerkraut yourself, cabbage retains its fresh flavour and much more of its nutritional power. Here's a recipe for making fresh sauerkraut with pork chops:

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 55 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
• 4 pork chops (about 175 g/6 oz each)
• 3 ml (3⁄4 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) black pepper
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 250 ml (1 c) peeled, coarsely chopped carrot
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 250 ml (1 c) white wine
• 1.5 L (6 c) shredded savoy cabbage (1 small head)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole cloves
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) sugar

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Season chops with a little of the salt and all the pepper. Add the chops to pan. Sauté until well-browned on both sides, or about three minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate.
2. Lower heat to medium. Add onion, carrot and garlic to pan and sauté until onion is softened, for about five minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in cabbage, bay leaf and cloves. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the cabbage is tender, or 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Stir vinegar, sugar and remaining salt into the cabbage mixture. Add the pork chops. Cover. Simmer until pork is just cooked through, or about 10 minutes.

Per serving:

• 275 Calories
• 29 g Protein
• 12 g Fat (including 3 g Saturated Fat)
• 73 mg Cholesterol
• 13 g Carbohydrates
• 5 g Fibre
• 524 mg Sodium

• Cabbage is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables.
• The grandfather of the brassica family — with cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale — it probably originated along the coasts of temperate northern Europe.

• Whatever the type of cabbage, always cook it very briefly and drain it well.
• Cabbage has a bad name simply because it has a history of being overcooked.
• The simplest technique for cooking all types of cabbage is to first slice or chop it and then steam it over boiling water until it is barely tender, about five minutes. Drain well.
• Just before serving, sauté in a little butter or olive oil to heat through, and season with salt and pepper.

Sounds delicious! Now you have a simple recipe for tasty pork chops and homemade sauerkraut. Cook some up and invite your friends over for dinner!