Let's Talk BBQ

Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Pellet Grills and Smokers => Topic started by: Smokin Don on January 02, 2014, 09:44:30 AM

Title: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: Smokin Don on January 02, 2014, 09:44:30 AM
Jan 01 2014

I have been eating pork and kraut on New Year’s Day for about 30 years; a German tradition thought to bring good luck. The pork because it forages for food moving forward and does not look back; the sauerkraut is thought to cleanse the body and soul to start the New Year. It does tend to clean the body!

The past few years I have also included black eyed peas, a southern tradition, in honor of my southern cousin Margaret. She said one year the family was traveling on New Year’s Day; they were all hungry but her father had to stop at five restaurants before he found one that had black eyed peas. He had to have his black eyed peas on New Year’s Day!

I had already smoked a rack of pork back ribs to use. I got the pork & kraut on about 11 AM. A layer of sliced onions, two crushed garlic cloves, a bay leaf, grey sea salt and crushed black pepper. Then a layer of the cut up ribs, a quart of my home made sauerkraut topped with what was left of the rib rack. I poured a bottle of Leiny’s Hoppin Helles beer over all. I started on high for about an hour then went to low.

Through the afternoon I took the ribs out after 4 hours to cool some and pull the meat off to add back. I made some mashed potatoes and in another Crockpot to hold. I cooked the spaetzel and added it to the pork and kraut about 4:30. All I had to do is slice some crusty bread and heat up my seasoned black eyed peas at 6:00 for supper.

My wife usually makes her Knopfles, German drop noodles but didn’t want her to stand and do them. The next best German style noodles I have found are Bechtel spaetzel, they have Farmer’s style and Bavarian style. I get them at Meijers grocery.

Our son had to work so the daughter in law and grandson ate with us. We all had the pork and kraut over mashed potatoes, the wife did not have black eyed peas! That is some great comfort food for the winter.

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010831_zps0c19d241.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010833_zps1211e561.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010834_zps1653bfe9.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010835_zps0709295d.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010836_zps9a2891f8.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010837_zps96284dd2.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010838_zps88242fa4.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010839_zpsf96b0b1f.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Traeger%20Food%202014/_1010840_zps95b7fb6a.jpg)

Smokin Don
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: hikerman on January 02, 2014, 11:30:22 AM
Looks wonderful Don! Reminds me of the meals my German mother used to make when I was young. Great memories!
Happy New Year to you Don!
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: HighOnSmoke on January 02, 2014, 05:52:21 PM
Looks really delicious Don! Happy New Year!
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: pz on January 03, 2014, 01:38:28 AM
What a lovely tradition, Don - Happy New Year!!
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: sliding_billy on January 03, 2014, 07:38:17 AM
That looks outstanding Don.  I asked my wife if she wanted me to smoke the pork before she made the pork and kraut.  She just gave me that "get out of my kitchen" look.  That's why I ended up smoking some CSRs on New Year's Eve.  I wasn't going down without a fight.  I got the best of both worlds.
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: Scallywag on January 03, 2014, 08:56:43 AM
Excellent looking meal Don!
Title: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: mikecorn.1 on January 03, 2014, 09:41:53 AM
Great looking meal!


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Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: Kora Smoker on January 03, 2014, 01:56:41 PM
Great looking grub there Don.
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: muebe on January 03, 2014, 03:17:26 PM
Looks great Don!
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: Old Hickory on January 03, 2014, 06:55:41 PM
Wow, that meal looks really good.
Title: Re: New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut
Post by: CDN Smoker on January 03, 2014, 07:00:20 PM
I'm a wanna be German actually I just like food  :D

Love it all.