New Year's Pork Roast with Saurkraut

This is old-school New Year’s Day eating. A pork loin roast goes into the oven at midnight on New Year’s Eve, sits on a rack above a pan full of sauerkraut, and slow-cooks at a very low temperature all night while you sleep. By morning, the house smells incredible and the roast is barely getting started.

The ultra-low overnight cook is what makes this work. The pork slowly renders and bastes itself while the sauerkraut below softens and absorbs the drippings. If things look dry in the morning, pour in a beer to keep the kraut moist and add a malty sweetness.

At noon, bury hot dogs in the sauerkraut for a quick lunch while the roast keeps going. Then let it cook another four to five hours until the pork is fall-apart tender. Pile everything over mashed potatoes for the big New Year’s dinner.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a rack in the roasting pan so the pork sits above the sauerkraut, not in it. This lets the heat circulate and the drippings fall into the kraut.
• Check the sauerkraut level in the morning. If the pan looks dry, that beer isn’t optional.
• The total cook time is roughly 12 hours. Don’t rush it by raising the temperature.
• Pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition believed to bring good luck for the coming year.

Variations

• Use a bone-in pork shoulder instead of loin for even more richness and a fattier, more forgiving cut.
• Add sliced apples and caraway seeds to the sauerkraut for a more traditional German flavor.
• Swap beer for apple cider for a sweeter, milder braising liquid.