Pellet Smoker Cooking: New Years Day Good Luck Dinner

Jan 01 2013

New Years 2013 and I will eat my good luck dinner of pork and kraut. I first started this tradition one New Year’s Day over 20 years ago, I don’t remember exactly when. I ran into a friend at the grocery and he had a can of sauerkraut and some pork. I ask is that all you’re buying and he said “Yes, I got to have my good luck pork and kraut on New Year’s Day”. Sounded good to me so I got some kraut and a pork roast for our supper and a meal I don’t think I have missed fixing since.

I think it is a German tradition; the pig is a forward looking animal so that symbolizes looking forward for the New Year. The sauerkraut is supposed to clean the body and soul for a new start in the New Year. New Year’s Day is usually cold here in Ohio so it makes for a great warming meal. I have used all cuts of pork to make this, roasts, chops, ribs, brats and brockwurst. My favorite is a couple of country style ribs, three brats and three brockwurst. These with a pound of sauerkraut and my wife’s knopfles, (German drop noodles), fills my 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven or Crockpot. Since I have had my smoker I smoke the meat first.

Black eyed peas are a southern tradition with different stories as how it originated. Most stories are from the Civil War period. I now have these too in honor of my southern belle cousin’s Father. She said one New Year’s Day they were on the road and her Father stopped at 3 different restaurants before he would eat. He finally found one that had black eyed peas. I figure a second good luck food doesn’t hurt; I need all the luck I can get! I think they do compliment the pork and kraut.

I got the ribs, brats, brockwurst, and 3 slices of bacon I would use in the black eyed peas, on my smoker at 9:30 am. I did them on smoke mode 170 deg. for an hour and a half. I then went to 275 deg. for about 20 minutes. Last year I did them in my cast iron Dutch oven in my smoker but this year I decided to finish it inside in my Crockpot.

At 11:30 I lined the bottom of the Crockpot with some sliced onions and threw in 3 garlic cloves, minced.
I laid the two country ribs on top of the onions then 3 of the brats and 3 of the brockwurst. I covered all with the pound of sauerkraut and some salt and pepper. I poured in a half of can of light beer. I turned it to high for an hour then down to low to simmer all afternoon. My kraut was some Gundlesheim barrel sauerkraut, original German recipe. I poured off some of the juice but did not rinse.

After lunch I did a batch of mashed potatoes, about 3 pounds, added a stick of butter and 3 tablespoons of sour cream. I put them in a Crockpot to keep warm. My wife made a batch of the drop noodles for me; she does them better than I can. She doesn’t have a recipe; two eggs and some flour. If they get too thick she adds some water to thin. She does them in a large pot of rapid boiling water; cutting them in with a knife.

About 4:00 I took the country ribs out and removed the fat, shredded and back in the Crockpot along with the noodles. I added some water and back on high for about 45 minutes then back to low. I saved out some of the noodles for my veggie daughter in law.

Before I was ready to eat I sautéed some onions, green peppers, a few chopped hot peppers and the bacon; then added the can of black eyed peas, partially drained, and heated.

My wife, daughter, and I ate a little after 5:00. I had some seeded rye bread and some Kerrygold Irish butter to serve with all. That sure was tasty and will have leftovers to eat and send some to my Mother.

Our daughter in law stopped in later and had some mashed potatoes, noodles, kraut and did eat a piece of sausage! The smell and temptation must have got to her!

The beer I had with my meal is Burning River, a pale ale style by Great Lakes in Cleavland, Ohio, named after the Cuyahoga River that actually caught fire.

Ingredients for pork and kraut