Kraut Dinner

[reinhard1]

searing is the way to go for sure. i started to put the layers in the crockpot and i got a good sized one. well, had to start out all over again in my roaster . ran out of room. looks like i made enough for two days. i'll put the roaster in the oven at around 275 deg at 11 am. should be ready by 6 pm. good luck.

[reinhard1]

this is ONE GREAT RECIPE!!!!!my wife told me twice while she was eating how good this was. plenty of liquid also for the potatoes and the rest, and it was so good. we have enough for another meal today. put in my own venison kielbasa. thanks again Labs!!!!good luck.

[reinhard1]

well it's time for this recipe again. with the cooler weather my wife asked me to do Lab's recipe again. i'm out of my venison kiebasa so this time i'm adding my hot venison Itailian sausage, or should i call it my hot Garlic Italian Venison Sausage. realy not that hot, but you can tell some heat is there. good luck.

[reinhard1]

well the big batch of Lab's Kraut dinner is in the oven instead of the crock pot again. just doesn't fit in my biggest crock pot so it's going into the roaster and that is filled to the top. giving some to my neighbors. He just got back from a tour overseas and i know he loves kraut. boneless pork ribs in there along with baby backs, lots of kraut with crispy bacon, two ham shanks sliced, 5 pounds of potatoes, 5 onions, venison garlic italian sausage in chunks, seasonings [no salt], and a 16oz can of bud light so far. the kitchen smells great. also making a better than sex cake for the staff where my wife works. good luck.

[LABS4ME]

Holy Hannah! Too funny! 5 lbs of potatoes! I'm not sure I can make what you are in my biggest roaster! Let me know what you think of it with the boneless pork... for some reason, I always think my best attempts are when I use bone in pork steaks or bone in country ribs... of course the smoked shank helps as well...

I may have to do a pot of this up this weekend...

Good Luck!

Ken

[LABS4ME]

oops... see you have baby backs too...

I have done it with spare ribs before. Curled the rack around the crock pot and filled all the good stuff in the center... it was tasty!

Good Luck!

Ken

[reinhard1]

boneless country ribs are for the motherinlaw. i would have used spareribs or pork steaks but i wanted something special for my neighbor and his family.not that pork steaks or spareribs are not special, just something i felt like throwing in there. my big turkey roaster was filled for sure. just threw in another 16 oz bud light as i turned things around. the potatoes sucked up some juices i think. i love the juices with this. good luck.

just turned all the goodness around again and it seems that all the meat will be boneless . picking out the rib bones except for one section. think it's good to go. good luck.

[reinhard1]

the meal was great. my neighbors wanted the recipe after enjoying the meal. good luck.

[Abndoc]

Man does this look good, i'm going to try this on sunday...a few questions hope I don't sound to dumb. Does the meat end up all blended together and just scoop and enjoy or do you pull alittle meat, grabs potateos..so on?

Also as far as seasoning what are you using? no salt?

Thanks guys, just don't want to screw up your perfection you have going!!

[reinhard1]

i brown the meat first some and then put it in the roaster. haven't done it in a crock pot yet. my batches are just too big. when i put in boneless ribs the meat is easy to part with a fork. the bone in ribs eventualy turn into boneless ribs for they pull right out. the first batch i used the small red potatoes and just quartered them. in the end they were tender but you could stick a fork in a chunk and it would stay on.

the last batch i used the larger red potatoes and cut them in about the same size but they did get a little overdone. the saurkraut i used was the German kraut i make with the crispy bacon and the grease with it mixed in. the ham shanks came cut in half in a vacume pac. i cut some of the meat off and threw the bone with meat in the batch. as far as spices, i used black pepper with garlic powder. no salt. also added a couple of tablespoons of the minced garlic that comes in jars. i baked mine in a roaster at 325 for around 3 hours.

while it's baking i mix things up a few times while in the oven. you can tell when the meat is tender the way you like it and the potatoes are done well enough for you it's all done. i used beer the last batch and chicken stock the first batch.. the mix will create it's own juices as well in the crockpot but not as much in a roaster. so you add accordingly. the juice is very important in this meal as Lab will tell you. maby he will chime in as well. good luck.

[Abndoc]

awesome, i can't wait..making my mouth water. thanks, you guys have made my dinner a few times already. everything you come up with is just awesome. sorry for stealing your hard work!! its just so good!!!

[reinhard1]

Lab gets all the credit on this one. sure you can tweak it like i did some but this combination he laid out is one of the best kraut meals i have had if not the best meal i have had. we all gain from each other. making this for this years deer camp as well as telling all who i know to make this. good luck.

[LABS4ME]

Doc, I layer it up in the crock pot and let it cook... I do not stir it. I think in a roaster stirring it a little will help distribute the moisture ... especially with Reinhard's neighborhood sized version! HA

I go light (or none) on the salt, especially if you are throwing in a smoked shank... a good dose of blk pepper and whatever seasonings you like.

If I am eating by myself, I just scoop out what I want when eating. If I am serving it at the table, I get a large serving dish and put it all on that separated best you can and let everyone take what they want...

A really good rye bread goes awesome with it...

Enjoy!

Good Luck!

Ken

[LABS4ME]

By the way Reinhard... Thanks for welcoming back home one of our Country's finest with this dish! I along with many others appreciate the gesture!

[Abndoc]

So i had to use alittle variation to the meat,grocery store is somerset is alittle spotty. I wrapped the crockpot with baby backs, and put a loin in the middle then followed with potatos, onion, kraut...brown sugar, butter and few apple slices on top. A half a bottle of nord east to top it off. Turned in on low at 10 am, and left for my wife's friends house for the day. came home at 5pm and our house was filled with the best smell we've had in a long time. My 2 year old twins, 7 and 9 year old boys and wife ate it up like grandma's apple pie!! what a meal! thanks guys. The meat was so moist, the ribs fell apart to nothing. yum yum yum!! we had so much left over meat we cleaned it up and will have some awesome pork sandwiches tomorrow night!! Thanks again for your family secrets!!

[Driftless]

tongue is hanging out and I am salivating.

[reinhard1]

Bumping this tasty thread back up for those who love a great kraut dinner. this one is the best i have ever had. with this cooler weather comming up it's time to have it again. time for me to make some polish to throw in my batch. start from the beginning of the thread for the awesome recipe and directions. good luck.

[picksbigwagon]

Thanks RH1, I was just thinking about this recipie with todays weather.......

[JP Z]

Had this last night.......WAS AWESOME. Everyone loved it, thanks much for the recipe Labs.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Have this in the crockpot cooking right now. I made two minor changes from the last time I prepared this meal. First, I added rutabaga. Second, I used a mix of pilsner and a dark brown ale. Thought about using some Guinness, but didn't have any on hand.

LABS - thanks again for starting this thread. Can't wait to get home and crush all that delicious goodness!

[rpotzie]

Is the smoked hock a must? I'm making a bunch of kraut for a party this weekend but won't have time to smoke the hock. I also have some neck bone in the freezer I'd like to use up, any harm in throwing that in the mix?

[LABS4ME]

Made it again this weekend for my brother.... Didn't have a hock to throw in the smoker so I ran to the store and bought one already smoked. A good meaty smoked hock is like 3bucks. He really like how the hock added flavor. He makes it also, but has never used smoked hocks. Fresh on occasion like my aunts...

I used to make mine often without the hock, but like how it adds flavor to the dish. It is still mighty good without the hock. The pork steaks and sausage do their thing on their own.... But putting the smoked hock in that pot takes it up a notch....

Good luck!

Ken

P.s. still have a couple meals left over in the pot... Who's in? Ha

[Mid-Lake Rock]

After eating about two pounds of kraut dinner in less than 24 hours, I will say the hock is essential to the kraut dinner. The smoked pork is my favorite meat item. Seriously considering going two or three hocks and no other meat for the next kraut dinner. For the batch I made yesterday I used boneless country pork ribs that I seared on the grill and those are good.

[hoggs222]

What do you use to season the pork steaks/ribs? I'm thinking of making a batch this weekend.

[LABS4ME]

I use garlic powder, pepper and a small amount of Rudys rib rub.

Good Luck!

Ken