Congratulations are in order: Today is my son’s wedding! It’s very exciting. We’re all so happy for him and thrilled to officially welcome her into the family. Of course, I’m not actually sitting at my computer today — I’ve scheduled this to post automatically. There are better, more important things to do this morning! 

I’ve chosen an old favorite of my son’s for today’s post. I’ve adapted it from the 1981 Applehood & Motherpie (Junior League of Rochester, NY). The original recipe called for pork chops, which worked just fine back then. Have you noticed how much the quality of grocery store pork chops has declined? They’re nearly always tough now, and mostly flavorless. If you have a good butcher, you can still get decent chops, for a price. We were years without a good, convenient butcher, so I developed an affection for tenderloin. It’s more dependably tender, and generally leaner as well. We have a good butcher again, but it’s a half hour drive; not convenient for everyday shopping. If I want to make Sauerbraten Style Pork Chops or Cranberry-Orange Pork Roast, I’ll make a special trip or swing by when I’m up that way for other errands. As it turns out, I think I like this dish better with the tenderloin anyway. It’s quick and easy, and more dependable. Whatever cut you use, remember that pork is much more moist, tender, and flavorful when cooked to an internal temperature of 145℉. The old way of cooking pork well-done (165-170℉ ) is no longer recommended and pretty much guarantees tough, dry meat.

If you’re not on a low-sodium diet, this is a very healthy meal. The vast majority of the salt in this dish comes from the sauerkraut. I usually just drain it before adding, which likely removes a fair amount of salt. If you need to watch your sodium more closely, you can rinse it as well, reducing the amount of sodium even more. It’s difficult to calculate by how much, so I’ve made the nutrition label with undrained, unrinsed values — a worst-case scenario. The actual amount in your dinner will vary based on the brand of sauerkraut and how much salt you’re able to rinse away. You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

1 (16-oz.) can sauerkraut

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 beer (warm is best, cold will do)

1 (14-oz.) can lower-salt, petite cut diced tomatoes, undrained

1 Tbsp caraway seeds

Preparation:

1.) Drain (and rinse, if you want to) the sauerkraut, and leave it to continue to drain in a colander while you prepare the rest of the meal.

2.) Cut the pork crosswise into 1” slices. Gently pat them flatter with your hand. Sprinkle on both sides with the salt and pepper.

3.) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Brown both sides quickly, then remove to a plate.

4.) Pour the beer into the pan. Cook at a vigorous boil until reduced by about half.

5.) Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the caraway seeds.

6.) Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens a bit. You’re not looking for ketchup thick, more like tomato soup.

7.) Stir in the drained sauerkraut. Perch the pork on top of the mixture, pressing down to partially submerge it.

8.) Cover and cook until pork is done. This will only take a few minutes. If the sauerkraut mixture still has a lot of liquid, remove the pork and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has boiled off.