Pork & Sauerkraut

Last night we had a couple of friends over for dinner and I made pork and sauerkraut. Usually I just do pork chops, cover in sauerkraut and bake until done but last night I was ambitious. I made an actual pork loin for the very first time and it turned out fantastic!

In a large, oval casserole dish I did the following: Put a little bit of the sauerkraut in the bottom of the dish to prevent the meat from sticking, place loin on top of that and season with a little bit of black pepper. Cover the loin with the rest of the sauerkraut and bake at 350 for 2 hours. My pork loin was just under 3 pounds and I used a meat thermometer to be sure it was done. I was shooting for a core temp of 170 degrees but I ended up with 185. I was afraid the meat would be dry but it was surprisingly moist and everybody loved it!

I served it with mashed potatoes. I made the regular version with milk and butter for everybody else and made a smaller amount with chicken broth for myself. Be careful, though. Some brands of chicken broth contain soy! I use the Progresso broth.... no soy and it has a great flavor.

My girlfriend brought over a salad and some fresh green beans that she sauteed in olive oil and Morton's Nature's Seasons, which I had never tried but it was great! On the salad I used some balsamic vinaigrette that I made myself. To make this I combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. I also shake in a little bit of garlic powder. All of this is to taste, I don't have an exact recipe.... but I do know that this is a strong dressing and a little bit goes a long way!

Cranberry Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

This isn't what we're having for dinner tonight, although we are having pork chops of some variety (I haven't decided what to do with them yet). But, this is one of my favorites and my husband likes it too!

In a small pot I combine some apricot jam (jam because I like little bits of apricot in it... but you can use jelly too), a tiny bit of water to thin the jam and some Craisins. Simmer on low heat while you cook the pork chops in a skillet. Place apricot glaze over the pork chop on the plate, not in the skillet.

I usually serve with rice and a green veggie of some sort. but you can serve whatever you want as sides.

If I come up with something truly interesting to do with tonight's pork chops I'll be sure to post it...but it's been kind of a rough day (dentist before 9 AM, a cat who did not like going to the vet for shots... and let me know, and a 7 month old baby with a mouth injury... don't worry, he's going to be fine) so it will probably be just a pork chop, browned in the skillet with a side of rice and a veggie. I'm too tired to be creative tonight!