Pork and Sauerkraut Stew

New Year's Day at my mother's table in the midwest was always the leftover Christmas ham bone and black-eyed peas.  Mother told us that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day would bring us luck and prosperity in the new year.  I think it was just her way of using up the leftover ham bone and and getting us to eat black-eyed peas.

When I moved to Pennsylvania 10 years ago, I found that pork and sauerkraut is the dish that central Pennsylvanians propagate to get kids to eat what they don't want to.  This year I decided to embrace my central Pennsylvania-self and get Nerdy-Boy to eat what he doesn't want to eat.  When it comes to Nerdy-Boy, I like getting lucky.  And lucky for me, he loved this dish!

May the new year bring you love, peace and joy.  Oh and luck and prosperity as well!

Pork and Sauerkraut Stew
1 2-lb pork tenderloin - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
3 cloves of garlic - rough diced
3/4 cup of celery - rough dice
1 cup of carrots - peeled and sliced
4 small potatoes - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup of white wine
2 cups of chicken broth
32-oz sauerkraut
1 apple (sweet-variety, peeled, cored and in 1 inch-dice)
2 tsps caraway seed

Over medium-high heat, brown pork tenderloin in a large dutch oven.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in pan drippings 3-5 minutes - just softened, not browned.   Add wine and deglaze pan.  Add chicken broth, celery, carrots and potatoes.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes until vegetable are slightly tender.  Return pork to pan and add sauerkraut, apple and caraway seeds.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

I'm not a big fan of caraway seeds, but, just the slight hint gives this stew a warm aromatic flavor.  And the secret ingredient -- an apple!  It drew just enough of the bitterness out of the sauerkraut to let all of the other flavors come out.  Perfect for a bitter cold Pennsylvania day.