Cooking with Beer

Tradition in my household is that on new year's day we eat a pork roast and sauerkraut. Now my mother never described to us the history, instead claiming that we're Polish and that was sufficient for me. A little research this year indicated that this tradition was actually brought over by various Austrians, Swedes and Germans as they settled in America. Wild boars were hunted and killed on the first day of January so in hopes of fat feasts for the rest of the year the tradition of pork and sauerkraut was born. Obviously I know that whatever I choose to eat in my cocktail-induced sluggishness will probably have no effect on my year what-so-ever, but why take the chance?
Now my mother's recipe calls for a slowly roasted pork with hours upon hours in the oven, being lovingly basted with sauce and homemade sauerkraut. Due to the aforementioned condition I could barely bring myself off of the couch until 4 pm. Instead, I settled for a quick version of this meal. My parents travel to Pittsburgh a few times a year to enjoy their "homeland" and all of its treasures. They recently brought back a craft brew magazine that has a section each month entitled "Cooking with Beer." In true new year's spirit the authors were giving a recipe for pork and sauerkraut but with an interesting twist. Per usual I tweaked the recipe according to what I had on hand to increase flavor and for ease purposes. This dish would be delicious on any cold day or anytime that you just want to feel a bit more, well, ... lucky.

Cider Brined Pork Chops with Apple Sauerkraut
Adapted from Mindy Johnson of Pittsburgh Craft

Hard Cider Brine
1 bottle hard apple cider
1/2 apple cider vinegar
3 tblsp kosher salt
2 tblsp grainy mustard
1 tblsp sugar
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp mustard powder
4 pork chops

Apple Sauerkraut
4 slices of bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 gala apple, diced
32 oz prepared sauerkraut
12 oz beer
2 bay leaves
1 tblsp dried thyme

1. Combine all brining ingredients in a bowl. Salt may be dissolved in 1-2 tblsp of hot water first if preferred. Add pork chops and make sure they are completely submerged. I only allowed to brine for 2 hours but they can brine up to 24 in the refrigerator.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium heat and grill chops 5-10 minutes per side or until pork is not longer pink in the center (cooking times vary greatly depending on thickness of chops). Use a thermometer to ensure pork reaches a minimum of 145 degrees.

3. Meanwhile, render the bacon over medium heat in a large, deep pan until crisp and remove from pan leaving drippings.
4. Add in garlic and apples and cook until soft.
5. Deglaze the pan with the beer and add sauerkraut, spices and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat, stirring periodically until liquid is reduced in half.
6. Remove from heat and stir in bacon.

To serve, place chops on a bed of sauerkraut and spoon over any liquid from the sauerkraut.

Serves 4.