Braised Pork with Sauerkraut

75 min · Easy · Serves 1

610 kcal per serving · 37g protein

The Bulgarian winter classic, and one of the most naturally low-carb dishes in the Balkan kitchen: pork shoulder browned with onion and paprika, then braised slowly in sauerkraut until it cuts with a spoon. One pot, ten minutes of real work, and the stove does the rest. The sauerkraut turns mellow and sweet as it cooks and is the whole side dish, so nothing else is needed on the plate.

Ingredients

• 200 g Pork shoulder, cut in 3 cm cubes
• 1 tbsp Sunflower oil
• Onion, finely chopped × 1
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika
• 200 g Sauerkraut, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 leaf Bay leaf
• 0.5 g Black pepper
• 1 g Salt, only if needed

Method

1. Brown the pork

   

   Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the pork shoulder cubes in a single layer and brown for 6 minutes, turning, until golden on most sides.

2. Soften the onion

   

   Lower the heat to medium, add the chopped onion to the pork and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent.

3. Bloom the paprika off the heat

   

   Take the pot off the heat and stir the sweet paprika into the pork and onion for 20 seconds, so the paprika colours the fat without burning.

4. Add the sauerkraut

   

   Return the pot to medium heat, add the drained sauerkraut, bay leaf, black pepper and 150 ml hot water, and stir until the sauerkraut is evenly mixed with the pork.

5. Braise low and slow

   

   Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the pork is tender enough to cut with a spoon.

6. Season and serve

   

   Remove the bay leaf, taste, and add the salt only if the sauerkraut needs it. Serve the pork and sauerkraut hot in a deep plate.