Name: Polish Ribs with Sauerkraut
Prep time: PT-484038H39M17S
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: Small handful of dried mushrooms; 3 tablespoons oil or lard; 2 pounds country-style pork ribs (1 Kg); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 pound bacon (200 g), diced; 2 cups chopped onion (300 g); 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped; 2 pounds sauerkraut (1 Kg); 1/2 cup prunes, diced (80g); 1 tablespoon ground marjoram; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds; 3 bay leaves; 3 whole allspice berries; 1 apple or pear, cored and sliced (optional)

Description

Polish Ribs with Sauerkraut are a hearty meal perfect for winter days.

Ingredients

Scale

Small handful of dried mushrooms
3 tablespoons oil or lard
2 pounds country-style pork ribs (1 Kg)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon (200 g), diced
2 cups chopped onion (300 g)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 pounds sauerkraut (1 Kg)
1/2 cup prunes, diced (80g)
1 tablespoon ground marjoram
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 bay leaves
3 whole allspice berries
1 apple or pear, cored and sliced (optional)

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Instructions

Cover the dried mushrooms in warm water and soak for an hour. They will not be completely rehydrated but will continue to soften while cooking with the other ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
Cut the ribs into pieces, one bone per piece, or if small or thinner, two bones per piece.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add all of the ribs to the pan (or fry in batches if necessary). Sprinkle with salt. Brown for 3 – 5 minutes on one side. The meat will finish cooking in the oven. Remove from the pan, leaving the fat.
Add the bacon, cooking over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add. the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Add garlic at the end of the cooking time.
Squeeze the sauerkraut until no longer dripping. Roughly chop and add to the pan along with the prunes. Slice the slightly tender mushrooms and add to the pan. Reserve the liquid for this or other recipes. Add the marjoram, pepper, caraway, bay leaves, and allspice. Stir to combine, and cook over medium-low for 10 – 15 minutes.
Add 3/4 of the sauerkraut mixture to a 9 x 13-inch pan (25 x 35 cm or smaller), add the ribs, and top. with the remaining sauerkraut.
(Optional) top with sliced apples or pears. You could also add 1/2 – 1 cup (125 – 250 ml) water, apple juice or water from the mushrooms for a more moist dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. This might seem like a long time. The meat will be cooked after an hour, but it’s in the second hour that the magic happens. The meat will become fall-off-the-bone tender, and the flavors will have melded beautifully.