I came to blog my recipe then through a search, discovered I posted one last year! That was in the roasting pan though, and it was a pork loin rib half. This year, I put a pork shoulder roast in the crock pot… and made some dumplings 2 ways to go with it!
Ingredients:
- 6 lb. pork shoulder roast
- 2 bags of sauerkraut (Beware, “Bavarian style” is a secret code meaning it has caraway seeds & tastes like royal ass. Unless you like caraway seeds or royal ass. I avoid it for diverticulitis reasons anyway.)
- 1 bottle of beer. I used Straub Amber again this year, but I also like to use Yuengling Traditional Lager. (You could also use Penn Pilsner, Stoney’s, Shiner Bock, or Smithwick’s Red Ale… Don’t be ruining it with Budweiser, Coors or Iron City.)
- Apple Juice (Maybe ½ cup?)
- 2 Apples (I like Golden Crisp or Honey Crisp)
- 1 Spanish Onion (Or a sweet or yellow onion or whatever you like.)
- ½ teaspoon-ish Minced Garlic
- Salt (or Season All / Seasoned Salt)
- Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Mustard Powder
- Brown Sugar (Maybe ¼ cup?)
- Pillsbury Grands Biscuit Dough
Instructions:
- Drain & rinse the sauerkraut, unless you’re into clearing the pluming from the top down.
- Slice the apples & onions then place them on the bottom of the slow cooker/crock pot, add that beer & apple juice. Add some spices.
- Put the roast in, fat side up. Add some spices.
- Cover it with the rinsed sauerkraut. Add some spices.
- Add that brown sugar sprinkled all over the top, Add some more spices.
- I put it on low for 8 hours & it was over-cooked & falling apart, but in a good way.
- Cook it to 145° F according to the FDA, 160° according to my thermometer with the numbers beside the pig icon, or 203° if you want it to fall apart.
- Cut up 4 of the Pillsbury biscuits into 4 pieces each, pop ’em into the crock pot on the last half hour. I sealed the inside of the lid with foil at that point because I read you should do that online. (Don’t burn yourself!)
- Let it rest a bit when you pull it out. That’s just good life advice in general.
I cooked the other 4 biscuits, also cut into 4’s, in my stock pot:
- I tossed some beer, water, apple juice, & ham bullion into my stock pot, then brought it to a boil.
- I dropped in the dumpling pieces, and brought it down to a simmer. That’s about a 2 on my stovetop dial.
- I boiled for 10 minutes with the lid off, then for 10 minutes with the lid on.
Tips:
- Damnit, I forgot to do this part: Sear the pork roast on all sides. I used a large fork to control it along with some tongs. I used a hot pan with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil & a pat of butter. You just want to sear the outsides, not cook the meat. I did add a bit of seasonings first.
- I put onion powder on the apple slices and garlic powder on the onion slices… because why not? Does anyone else do stuff this?
- You could try to roast it.
- I liked the dumplings from the crock pot more than the ones from the stock pot. they were more fluffy/biscuity and less… wet. They both tasted pretty good & were certainly edible though.
What are your New Year’s traditions and recipes? Did you see my New Year’s appetizers? I’ll take any & all tips on dumplings! I haven’t had luck with the Bisquick variety and I never tried scratch.
World (and Lunar) Domination 