Fall Is Here…Along with Sunday Dinners!

Just attended my latest HS Reunion…a few of my classmates asked about when I was going to post some new recipes.

The weather had cooled today, the Giants were playing along with the Yankees…doesn’t get much better to be in your kitchen with a few brews, good sports, and some ideas about dinner!

Although many of my friends think of me as Italian…I’m really 1/2 Italian; 1/2 German…and today I made a dish I had created almost 30 years ago!  It is essentially German…with an Italian twist.

Pork loin, sausage,sauer kraut, & apples!

OK…this dish is very simple to make!

For 2 adults with plenty of leftovers…or 4 moderately hungry adults with some salad, and dessert, this is what you need to do:

1.5 pounds of pork loin.

1.5 pounds of sweet Italian sausage.  This is the Italian “twist”.  If you have a favorite salumaria and there is a sausage with a little more pepper, that is perfect!  Do not use “hot” sausage…we are not looking for spicey hot here…but the extra pepper complements the pork.

One jar or package of sauer kraut- 16 oz.

6 medium-sized apples- your choice.  Cut each into quarters, removing the stems and seeds.

One clove of garlic-peeled.  (If you don’t work with garlic, simply peel one clove of garlic off a bulb, place on a flat surface, put the palm of your hand on the clove, and press down.  The cover of the garlic clove will break and you can easily peel the garlic.)

1)  Cut the garlic in 1/2.  Take one half of the clove and rub the pork loin with the 1/2 half of garlic clove well.   Discard the garlic used for the rub and any remaining garlic.

2)  Cut three small slivers off the second 1/2 of the clove.  Pierce your pork loin with a sharp knife and insert the three small slivers.  Space evenly throughout the pork.

3)  Generously salt with kosher salt and pepper.  Press the salt and pepper into the pork loin.

4)  Cut your sausage links into 3″ links…if your sausage is cut in links, typically, you’d cut each link in 1/2.

5)  Use a Pyrex or other dish with 2-3″ sides that will hold the loin and sausages comfortably.  Line the Pyrex dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  I pour it in, and spread it around with my fingers.

6)  Place the pork in the Pyrex dish and place the sausage on a metal baking sheet.

7) Put the pork and the sausage in a pre-heated 450 degree oven.

8)  Turn the pork over after 15 minutes to brown each side.

9)  Remove the pork and sausage from the oven after 3o minutes.  Remove the pork  from the Pyrex dish and place the sauer kraut in the bottom of the Pyrex dish.  Place the pork loin in the center and sausage around the sides on top of the kraut.

10) Lower the oven to 300 degrees, and return the Pyrex dish with the pork loin and sausage to the oven- uncovered.

11)  Check your pork loin after 30 minutes with a meat thermometer.  Your dish is done when the center of the pork registers 160 degrees.

12)  Lower your oven to 200 degrees or “warm” until you are close to eating.

13)  Approximately 20 minutes before you intend to eat, add the apples on top of the meat, cover with the top to the dish or aluminum foil, and return to the oven, raising the heat to 400 degrees.  Remove after 15 minutes.

14)  Remove the pork from the dish and tent for at least 5 minutes with aluminum foil…if you are not ready to eat, leave sitting with an aluminum tent for up to 45 minutes…it will remain warm and is actually easier to cut.

15)  When your other dishes are ready, if any, cut the pork loin into 1/2″ slices, and place on a serving plate.  Surround with the sausages pieces, and sauer kraut.  Top with the apples and serve!

Finally…if you enjoy beer, try Lake Placid’s Hefeweizen…it is absolutely perfect!  It’s the one of the best hefeweizen I’ve ever had!

Mangia!