Kapusta (Sauerkraut and Pork)
Ingredients
4-6 Lbs Pork (Pork Steak - Y bone, looks like Ribs, couple of inches high & wide, approx 6" long; or Pork Butt - Not chops, too dry)Garlic Oil
2 Cans/Jars of Sauerkraut (32 oz each)
2 Big Onions - chopped
2 Tomatoes diced-or 1 cup canned stewed tomatoes-or 1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup pearl barley
Broth/Stock
Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Cut meat into large chunks - size of 1/2 your fist size or little larger. Grease roasting pan (9x13 or larger) and meat chunks with garlic oil. Bake uncovered at 350⁰ for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Meat will make juice.Drain sauerkraut and save juice. Light rinse sauerkraut (I don't, mom does). In a large pan, sauté onions in butter. Then add sauerkraut, tomatoes, salt & pepper. Cover sauerkraut mixture with water, or broth/stock (any kind - chicken, vegetable, etc.) Sprinkle barley on top. Cover and bring to a boil, add cooked meat, cover and cook for one hour. Add sauerkraut juice if too bland.
If too "soupy" add 2 Tablespoons of Zaprashka (Russian for Roux.) A roux is a mixture of equal parts of oil, butter, or fat renderings and flour. Recipe: melt butter, stir in equal amount of flour and brown. The mixture is cooked at least three to five minutes over low heat to remove the raw flavor of the flour. Slowly add a small amount of liquid from the sauerkraut. Then pour into the sauerkraut pan and blend, which thickens the gravy. The roux method is least likely to produce lumpy gravy.
From: Sonya Rulli (mom)