Brined Pork and Sauerkraut

An apple and molasses brine gives a slow-cooked pork roast deep flavors. The roast simmers for hours with apples, carrots, cranberries, walnuts, and seasonings.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 hr
• Total Time: 5 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 543 Calories

Ingredients

• ¾ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cups apple juice
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• ½ onion, sliced
• ¾ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• 1 (4 pound) pork loin roast
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 tablespoons dark molasses
• ½ cup kosher salt
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 4 cups ice, divided - or as needed
• 2 (27 ounce) cans sauerkraut, drained

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pour water, apple juice, cider vinegar, molasses, kosher salt, pickling spice, and black peppercorns in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and molasses. Simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 cups ice into brine and stir to melt ice and cool brine.

Step 2

Place pork loin into a large container and pack 2 more cups ice, or as needed, around the meat. Pour brine over ice and pork, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight.

Step 3

Remove pork roast from brine and place into a slow cooker; pour 2 cups brine over the meat. Discard remaining brine. Spread sauerkraut, onion slices, brown sugar, fennel seeds, and coriander over pork roast. Set cooker on Low and cook for 3 hours. Add carrots to slow cooker and cook 1 more hour; add apples, cranberries, and walnuts and cook until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 1 hour more.