Pulled pork with oven-baked sauerkraut

I'm looking at this photo thinking 'it doesn't look like a very appetizing dish.' It might not look like much, but this was so tasty and satisfying.

This recipe is one for a chilly night, when you want some comfort-type food to warm you up.

The pork was juicy and the oven-baked sauerkraut, for me was almost heavenly. It was soft and delicious as it had absorbed all the juices from the pork, as well as the wine and stock.

This is my kind of comfort food!

Serve with some steamed broccoli or French beans.

What you'll need

Serves 6.

2kg piece of boneless pork shoulder

1kg prepared sauerkraut (available at most supermarkets)

2 bay leaves

1.5 cups white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 onion, finely sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

What to do

Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius.

In a bowl, place the sauerkraut, onion, bay leaves, wine and 1 cup of chicken stock. Mix well. Tip the mixture into a baking tray and make an even layer. 

Note: you should not need to season the sauerkraut, as it will already be salty from the preserving process.

Coat the pork piece with the oil and season well. Place the pork on top of the sauerkraut, in the middle of the baking dish. Now cover the dish tightly with a lid (if you have one) or with a double layer of foil. 

Place into the and bake for approximately three hours. About every 30 minutes, baste the pork with the juices from the sauerkraut and also check that the juices don't dry out. If so, use the extra chicken stock or water to top up. The sauerkraut should look almost 'soupy' during cooking.

With about 30 minutes to go in the cooking process, remove the lid or foil and let the liquid evaporate.

After three hours cooking, you can check that the pork is cooked. Use two forks and 'pull' the pork apart. If it comes away in stringy chunks, then it is ready. If this doesn't happen when you check it, cook for another 20 minutes with the lid on.

To serve, pull the pork apart, using the forks. Do this in a dish to catch any juice and small bits of pork that fall off. You will end up with lots of yummy, juicy, stringy pork pieces. Place onto a serving platter. 

Remove the bay leaves from the sauerkraut. Place it in a serving bowl and serve while warm. Delicious!