What a nice set of ingredients

I knew this would be a fabulous dish before I even finished reading the recipe. Pork chops browned with bacon, then braised in beer and sauerkraut. I mean, how could you possibly go wrong there? Well, I guess you could burn the bacon, or use some nasty cheap beer…

This recipe yields a tender, flavorful pork chop which is excellent with the sauerkraut, a boiled potato, and sautéed apple rings. And another couple beers to chase it down.

Oh, big ol' plate of pork

The sautéed apples are also a breeze. Just core a few apples and cut them into ½ inch rings (don’t peel the skins), then sauté in a few tablespoons butter to caramelize.

Recipe is from James Beard’s Theory and Practice Of Good Cooking. It’s very easy so I’ll just summarize:

(4 Servings)

4 pork chops, around 1” thick
A few slices of thick bacon
2 tablespoons rendered pork fat, butter, or oil
3 pounds fresh sauerkraut
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
Beer to cover (2 ½ to 3 cups)

Render the pork fat, melt the butter, or heat the oil in a heavy skillet, then brown the pork chops, 3-4 minutes each side, with the bacon. Then add the sauerkraut, pepper, garlic, and enough beer to cover. Simmer, covered, until the chops are tender and full of flavor.

Step 1: Brown pork and bacon

Step 2: Add sauerkraut, garlic, pepper, and beer to cover, cover the pan, and simmer until tender. Easy enough huh?