Pork Roast with Sauerkraut and Kielbasa

My mom’s family comes from the Midwest and I had the opportunity to live in Northeast Ohio for over a decade and learned to make the traditional pork and sauerkraut dish indigenous to that part of the country. Actually, I made the mistake of trying to prepare the traditional Southern dishes for my Ohio born and raised partner on our first New Year together and he rebelled. I have since moved him to Atlanta and have made good progress “Southernizing” him, but that first year was too much, too fast.

So, in homage to my northern tier friends and family, here’s the classic.

Servings: 12

Source: Brian’s Kitchen

Ingredients: 

1 2-3 lb boneless pork loin roast

Olive oil

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped

salt and pepper

4 lbs prepared sauerkraut

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced

2 carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 1-lb kielbasa sausage, cut into 2-3 inch pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Rub the roast with olive oil and then with the chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and place in oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the sauerkraut in a slow cooker. Arrange the kielbasa and carrot pieces around the sides. Remove the roast from the oven and place in center of slow cooker. Place the sliced onions on top. Cover and cook on high for about 6 hours.

Remove the roast and slice. Place in center of serving platter. Arrange the sauerkraut and kielbasa around the sliced roast and serve.