Pork, the other white meat...so great in so many cuisines and ways to cook it.  While pondering
how much snow (yes, dear blog reader, it snowed another 8-12 inches overnight) is outside of my
window I was also thinking..hmmm...what's for dinner?.  With five boneless pork chops in the
fridge there are endless possibilities.  Best thing to do is to think seasonal, as in cold weather
recipes, and think, what's available in the kitchen, we are not going out in yet another Winter mess.
My foraging through the shelves produced a bag of sauerkraut (always buy the fresher tasting
bagged and refrigerated type versus the canned), an apple, onion, and soon I was on my way
to taking a trip into that Germanesque corner of France known as Alsace.  This is not an Alsatian
recipe per se, but certainly draws on all its' culinary flavors.  It's the kind of cooking on the fly I love
to do..use what I have.  I also wanted to make something in one pot, not necessarily a soup or
even a stew, but something hearty, healthy, and with less pots than I usually use.
     My main objective with you dear reader is to expand your Sauerkraut usage to either a topping
for Hot Dogs, or a pan of Sliced Kielbasi which you simmer and cover with it.  Alsace comes to mind
because it is a mainstay, if not the cornerstone of their regional cooking.  What?  Too sour for your
taste?  Then you need to try this dish.  Long cooking of sauerkraut with aromatics, meats and other
ingredients gives it a sweet mellow flavor, rather then the sharp acidic sting that simply boiled or
heated sauerkraut does.  It's a great ingredient and let's make this warming and wintry dish and
you'll be seeking out the bags of sauerkraut in the refrigerated section of the store way more often.

     Start with 5 boneless pork chops, nice and thick.  Season with kosher salt, black pepper and
rub down with a cut clove of garlic on both sides. Let it sit for 10 minutes.  In a large dutch oven,
heat 2 tbs. of vegetable or Canola oil and sear the pork chops for 5 minutes on one side, do not
move them.  You are creating a crusty sear on them, moving them around will not produce the
caramelization you are looking for.  Turn, and repeat for 4 minutes.  Remove to a platter and
cover.
  Makes you want to bite
right into them...no?  Ok, while they are searing, thinly slice one onion, dice 2 strips of bacon,
dice 4 medium potatoes.  After you've removed the meat, add the bacon.  Keep stirring as this
will start to cook up fast and when the bacon has turned somewhat crispy add the onion, season
the mixture.  Stir frequently and when the onion was begun to caramelize, after about 5 minutes,
add the potatoes.

Add a bay leaf and let this cook, again frequent stirring so everything browns evenly for 10 minutes.
The potatoes should look browned, onions caramelized, bacon deliciously bacony and crisp..now add
1/2 tsp. of ground cloves (so much a flavor of that area, spicy and aromatic, like the Pain des Epices
which are sold in the region, loaves of spicy Gingerbread ) and mix well, cook another minute, then
add 2 cups of Riesling, a wine of the region, or a fruity white wine.  Deglaze the pan and let this
bubble for a few minutes.  Now add 2 cups of the Sauerkraut and bring this up to a boil.  Add the
pork chops with any of the juices on the bottom of the platter.  Mix well and let this simmer for 1/2
hour.
  It should be thick and aromatic at
this point with just some moisture still in the pan.  Stir into the mix 1 tbs. of brown mustard and let
it simmer for 2 minutes.  Now add 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach and blend it into the mix.  Cover
and let this cook for another 10 minutes on low. 


Test the meat with a fork, it should easily go through the chop with no give.  Check for seasoning
and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.  This will serve 4-5people.
Well I've done my good deed for mankind tonight...increasing your ways of using that old sack of
sauerkraut.  And the dish is pork squared!  Pork Chops AND bacon...you will find it's neither smokey
or sharp..all the flavors keep each other in check...make sure to remove the bay leaf.  We can't have
any problems, I need you around to read my next blogpost!