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tender bone-in pork chops above softened sauerkraut, onion ribbons and cooked yellow potato chunks with a small amount of pale cooking liquid in a plain slow-cooker insert
Andre Lewis

Crockpot Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut needs enough liquid around it to stay moist, but it shouldn't float in a pot of broth. Potatoes at the bottom catch the cooking juices while the marbled chops soften above them. Use the blade cut specified rather than a lean boneless loin chop. The fermented cabbage and a little mustard give the dish a tangy finish, with caraway spread through the pot instead of scattered on top. Lift the pork gently when it is ready, because long-cooked chops can separate at the bone if you grab them by one edge.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 well-marbled bone-in pork blade chops from the shoulder end of the loin 1 inch thick, about 2 1/2 lbs total
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 cups sauerkraut drained and briefly rinsed
  • 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup mild lager beer
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

Method
 

  1. Pat chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and brown chops for 2 minutes per side in two batches.
  2. Put potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Toss sauerkraut and onion together over them, then arrange browned chops on top.
  3. Whisk beer, broth, mustard and caraway and pour around the pork. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours until the potatoes and chops are fork-tender; pork must reach at least 145°F, with marbled blade chops often near 190°F when tender.
  4. Lift chops carefully with two wide utensils and rest for at least 3 minutes. Stir the potatoes and sauerkraut gently through the cooking juices.
  5. Serve each chop with a share of potatoes, sauerkraut and a small spoonful of the hot liquid.