Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut
An absolute comfort meal, Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe creates extremely tender caramelized pork nestled into tangy sauerkraut. With just 3 ingredients and 2 steps this family favorite recipe is an extremely easy slow cooked meal.
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Do you have recipes that have stayed in your family for generations?
This Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe has been in my family for more generations than I can keep track of.
I remember eating this in the 70’s as a child but I especially remember eating this every single week in the 80’s with out fail during my mom’s pregnancy with my baby brother.
This was my mom’s pregnancy craving BIG time!
I realize that sauerkraut is an acquired taste so I was a little concerned that my husband may cringe at the idea of eating this meal.
I am happy to report though, not only did he eat it, he went back for seconds all the while saying “hmmmm, this is really good!”
There are a couple of elements that I personally absolutely adore about this Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe.
The meaty ribs are so tender they just literally fall apart.
I also adore that the meat juices impart a ton of flavor into the sauerkraut thereby also mellowing the tanginess.
I have a favor to ask though. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t send me hate mail.
This Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe steers a little away from your traditional German or Polish version of spareribs and sauerkraut in that it does not have potatoes, brown sugar or apples. Rest assured though that this version is incredibly irresistible and an absolute family favorite.
Why sauerkraut is healthy:
Sauerkraut in its simplest form is fermented cabbage that produces gut healthy probiotics. Many scientists now believe that much of our immune system resides in our digestive tract and is run by healthy bacteria. Sauerkraut, with all its healthy bacteria, feeds our intestinal lining those very healthy bacteria.
How to reap the healthy benefits of sauerkraut:
Many health experts hold the belief that the best form of sauerkraut is organic unpasteurized versions found in many health food stores. Unfortunately the heating process of this Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe does kill many of those healthful bacteria. To reap the benefits of improved immune function by eating sauerkraut then the best way to achieve this is to eat 2 tbsp of raw organic unpasteurized sauerkraut daily. Here are a few more ideas that may help too.
How to sear Country Style Pork Ribs:
Pull meat from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before searing. I personally prefer cast iron or stainless steel pans for searing. Place pan over medium/high -high heat. Add oil and let pan become very hot. You can check to see if the pan is hot enough be either by seeing the oil ripple or by placing the tip of a rib onto the pan and if it sizzles, it is ready. Place ribs onto pan with the fattiest side down first and do not move. The ribs will be ready to turn when they are easily moved (no longer sticking to the pan) and golden brown. Repeat with all sides.
Tips about Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut:
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- The awesome raw organic unpasteurized version of sauerkraut that I describe above can be a bit spendy but luckily Costco has a great price on it for $7.99 for a container that runs a little under 1/2 gallon.
- I recommend buying the best quality of pork you can afford. In my opinion the best would be pork raised organically on pasture, but at least try to aim for pork raised without antibiotics. Here is a great resource for finding a pasture-based farm near you!
- Country style ribs are a very meaty cut of pork that contain no bones and are perfect for this Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe.
- This is my favorite high heat healthy oil that I used for searing the country style pork ribs. (affiliate)
- BIGGEST TIP I can give about this Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut recipe is DO NOT salt the pork before searing. Normally you would salt meat before searing but because sauerkraut is already salty, salting the meat will just be too much.
- This cast iron indoor grill is my favorite for multiple purposes and did such a beautiful job for searing the meat on my gas stovetop. (affiliate)
- This Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven did a phenomenal job with this Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut. (affiliate)
- This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker for 8-9 hours on low.
Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 2- 2 1/2 lbs country style spare ribs
- 2 tbsp oil
- 16 oz sauerkraut *see tips above
- black pepper *optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉
- Place large frying pan or indoor grill over med/high- high heat. Add oil and bring pan up to a full heat. (see tips above for testing heat of pan). Sprinkle ribs with black pepper and place fattiest aside down onto pan. Sear all sides until golden brown.
- Place seared meat into dutch oven and top with sauerkraut. Cover dutch oven with lid and bake for 3-3 1/2 hours.
- (Note: video above was a doubled recipe)
Notes
Nutrition
Follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for more savory inspirations.
If you love healthy comfort meals then check out these recipes:
Beef and Brussels Sprouts Stew
I make mine on the stove top and add onions and diced green apples
That sounds delicious!
This rib and kraut recipe is very similar to the recipe I have been making for the last forty years. However, I put the kraut over mashed potatoes and the meat on the side. Try it with homemade mashed, it’s great.
Sounds amazing!
Love this recipe. Yea no apples.
This is how mother cooked this for years – sometime in slow cooker.
Even got my husband to like it.
Love them
Thanks.
I love that you got your husband to try it and like it. It always makes me so happy when people are pleasantly surprised that they like a recipe they didn’t think they would.
Thank you so much for giving it a try and coming back to comment. I greatly appreciate it.
I made this for dinner tonight in celebration of our first snowfall. Followed your simple recipe and used the Costco sauerkraut. It was absolutely delicious! Accompanied it with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots from our garden…..harvested just before the snow fell. I was tempted to add onion, apple, and or brown sugar to the Dutch oven but am glad that I stayed with your recipe.
Ok, now I am completely hungry for garlic mashed potatoes!
Thank you so much Nick for giving the recipe a try and coming back to rate it. I greatly appreciate that!
Garlic mashed potatoes sound perfect. I grew up with the potatoes being cooked with the spareribs and the kraut in the pressure cooker. They are so good with some melted butter and tang from the kraut juices! I’m firmly in the camp of “no apples, brown sugar or caraway seeds in my kraut.” But I could get on board with luscious mashed potatoes with loads of garlic!
That’s how I make mine, onions, apples, brown sugar and actually if I have it, apple juice or cider.
💛
I too grew up on this meal in the 70s-80s! My dad would make the spareribs, potatoes and kraut in a pressure cooker. I’m not as comfortable with a pressure cooker so I roast mine in the oven. I’m sure there are InstaPot recipes galore! It really is super moist and tender on the pressure cooker and almost as perfect in a roaster. It’s also good luck and made on the New Years! Enjoy!
Love hearing that so many enjoyed this meal growing up and I agree, the pressure cooker makes it amazing!
Absolutely excellent! Very, very easy! We added onions! Thank you!
You are very welcome Ron. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and for rating it.
Do you rinse the sauerkraut?
Hi Nadia. I personally don’t rinse the sauerkraut. However, I do know that some people do.
Have cooked for years. other and Grand mother maer this dish – LOVE IT>
Heather Heather Heather…. WOW!
This brought back so many memories! My mom made this and only difference she added caraway seeds. This is every good, definitely no potatoes or apples. She did serve mash potatoes on side. I looked long to find this recipe and glad I did.
Thank You for this recipe Excellent! I printed so we can have monthly. I will be trying other recipes from you.
That makes me so happy to hear. I can completely understand how you feel. It feels like a warm hug from my mom every time we make it. I appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy other recipes also. Just let me know if there is particular one you are looking for.
OMGGGG!!! Sooooo good! This recipe really hit the spot. I look forward to more recipes.
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to make the recipe and coming back to comment.
Made this recipe using boneless spare ribs paired with German Style Sauerkraut out of a jar from Aldi’s. Have used this Kraut before and it is always excellent. The pork was very tender and fell apart easily with a fork after a 3 hour bake. Completed my dinner with some Au Gratin potatoes and savored the results. A great meal that I will absolutely make again.
I am so happy to hear! Thank you Jerry for taking the time to make the recipe and coming back to comment!! Your dinner sounds delicious.
It’s simple and absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much for trying the recipe.
My Mom made this too, we all loved it and made it often. We serve ours with mashed potatoes on the side ❤️
I love hearing that memory and serving with mashed potatoes sounds delicious.
Your right you don’t need brown sugar, apples, or anything else to make this simple and delicious dish.
💛💛💛
Great recipe, I added cut up potatoes on top of ribs before adding kraut, just perfect meal
Sounds delicious!!
In rural Tennessee in 40’s- 50’s Wednesday was “”washday” washer and tubs of rinse water in kitchen.. So usually pork neck bones with sauerkraut sometimes potatoes was slow cooked on top of coal burning Warm Morning stove in iron pot with crisp crusty corn bread , no egg no sugar. Great feast type heart warming meal. So thanks for the memories
I love hearing this!!! This recipe is very much a walk down memory lane for me too.
This recipe looks extremely easy. I will definitely be cooking it in the near future.
That makes me so happy to hear. It is a very popular dish for New Years Day. I do hope you enjoy!
I make this recipe all the time, especially in the fall/winter. It’s a comfort food that my polish/German grandmother made when I was a kid growing up in Chicago. The only exception was we HAD to have potato’s so we would tuck those (use russet peeled) down into the juices of the kraut about 1.5 hours before done. I always use bagged sauerkraut and do not drain juices. It’s wonderful!
I love this so much. I warms me heart knowing how many people grew up eating this meal. Also, I love your suggestions.
My mom used to make this on the stove, with spare ribs, potatoes & Dumplings! I look for different recipes like this, but never see anyone adding dumplings. Doesn’t anyone ever do that? I like the dumplings better than potatoes. If anyone does, could you share your recipe for the dumplings you make?
Hi Barb. You have given me some great inspiration. It looks like it is a Czech version with a variety of different approaches. Let me mull this one over because it sounds absolutely delicious.
By the way, how did your mom prepare the dumplings?
My mom made a similar recipe of spare ribs and Sauerkraut on the stove top with dumplings. She made a flour based dumpling to cook in the liquid of the Sauerkraut and ribs. We never had potatoes with this meal, only dumplings with melted butter. Loved this!
Dumplings sound absolutely delicious! I think I need to try this because I adore dumplings.
We are celebrating Ukrainian New Years this weekend with all our family. Spare ribs and kraut is on my menu along with cabbage rolls, perohay, Ukrainian macaroni casserole, and Patshky (meat on a stick)…I could go on but you get the idea!! krusteky and poppy seed sweet bread for dessert! I am going to use your Kraut recipe this year because it looks excellent and I really like the reviews. Thank you.
Hi Judy. The whole menu sounds absolutely divine. I hope you have a wonderful New Years!
This was a grand slam of a meal! I even added some dumplings later…ate it for breakfast the next day and the following day! Fantastic recipe! keep going with the recipes!
That makes me so happy to hear! Another reader just mentioned dumplings also and now I am very much craving this recipe with fully dumplings. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and taking the time to rate it. I very much appreciate that.