Pork and sauerkraut is a traditional New Year's meal meant to bring luck in the New Year. This is my traditional oven roasted pork and sauerkraut recipe that cooked to perfection without drying out.
Be sure to add Hoppin' John recipe aka Carolina beans and rice for an added bit of good luck in the New Year.
If you are not wanting to take up oven space you can make this recipe for crockpot pork and sauerkraut or even a sous vide pork and sauerkraut. There are benefits to each cooing method but the oven roasted recipe is what I know as our New Years Day meal.
Pork and sauerkraut ingredients:
- Pork loin
- Sauerkraut
- Apple (optional)
- Onion (optional)
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
How to make oven roasted pork and sauerkraut:
- Season the pork with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Heat a dutch oven pan to high.
- Sear the pork for at least 4 minutes.
- Sear on all sides.
- Remove the pork to a clean plate and saute the onion and the apple in the pan.
- Deglaze the pan, scraping up the pork bits.
- Replace the pork back into the pan, adding the rest of the sauerkraut to the pan.
- Cover and place in a 375 oven.
- Remove from the oven and place the pork and krout on a serving platter. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before cutting to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
This is the great debate on New Years day. What cut of pork was used this year? Was it the pork loin or was it the bone in pork loin. Everyone has their favorite. The bone in will give you another layer of flavor but the boneless loin will be easier to carve. Pork tenderloin is not recommended because it will not hold up to the extended cook time in the oven. Save your tenderloin for your pork tenderloin lemon piccata. 
I recommend searing your pork before roasting it. By searing the meat you are caramelizing the outside of the roast giving it color along with flavoring. Be sure your dutch oven is screaming hot before you place me meat face down in the pan. Do not move it or poke it for at least 4 minutes. You will know the meat is properly seared when you can easily flip it over with tongs without tugging too much on the meat to get it to release. 
I suggest silver floss sauerkraut. It comes in a bag and is usually found in the meat department next to the pork or even in the refrigerator produce section. You are welcome to use canned sauerkraut but I wouldn't recommend it. You do you but if you are asking, I recommend the bagged sauerkraut.
Apples and onions are completely optional in this recipe and my aunt is probably giving me the side eye for it right now for suggesting it but hear me out. By caramelizing onions and adding an apple to this recipe will add an element of sweetness to the sauerkraut, cutting the tartness. But if you are a sauerkraut purist, and love the tang of the kraut leave the apple and onion out. But if you are a newbie to pork and sauerkraut I suggest adding them.
Oven Roasted Pork and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lb Pork loin
- 2 pounds Sauerkraut
- 1 Apple optional
- 1 Onion optional
- drizzle Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set oven to 375.
- Pat the meat dry and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Heat a dutch oven pan to high on the stove top. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
- Place the meat, fat side up, into the pan and sear for at least 4 minutes to get good caramelization on the surface.
- Flip the meat to sear on all sides.
- Remove the pork to a clean plate and saute the onion and the apple in the pan until they start to take on color.
- Use some of the liquid from the sauerkraut to deglaze the pan, scraping up the pork bits.
- Replace the pork back into the pan, adding the rest of the sauerkraut to the pan.
- Cover and place in the oven for 3 hours or until the internal temperature is at least 145.
- Remove from the oven and place the pork and krout on a serving platter. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before cutting to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
Vickie
Thank you. I’ve made pork and sauerkraut for years but never seared it first. I followed your recipe with delicious results. Definitely a keeper. Thanks and happy new year!
Sarah
I guess a temperature would be helpful! Thanks for pointing it out Vickie. I have updated the post and the recipe card. 375
Vickie
Looks great. What is the oven temperature? Thanks