My grandmother is my inspiration…
She grew up on a farm in Michigan and married a farmhand who became my grandfather. Much of her 82 years were spent cooking, foraging, sewing, canning, gardening, and baking.
And nearly every summer, we’d spend 2 weeks with her. The moment we walked through the front door, we’d smell her sauerkraut and spare ribs on the stovetop. No visit was complete without it!
She’d begin early in the day, layering the ribs and homemade sauerkraut in her vintage Dutch oven. They would simmer all day long on the back of the stove, waiting to be served with mashed potatoes and homemade applesauce for dinner. For dessert, she served rhubarb or blueberry pie — with a deliciously flaky crust featuring her secret ingredient: lard.
Today I’m sharing this special part of my family heritage with you. I hope you love Grandma Mabel’s Sauerkraut & Spare Ribs as much as I do! The ingredients are simple and few; the secret is in the technique and sauerkraut.
Make this dish plenty in advance! You’ll need time to gather and assemble the ingredients, as well as a full day to cook them all.
Preserving The Probiotics
Although Grandma was an expert cook, she did not have a firm grasp of fermented foods and their many benefits. She didn’t know that an all-day, slow-cooking technique kills the probiotics in sauerkraut.
So, if you want to preserve the probiotics, simply divide your kraut and use a small amount in the cooking process while allowing the rest to stay at room temperature. Serve the reserved amount on the side, or gently fold it into the ribs just before serving.
Then you’ll preserve both probiotics and delicious flavor.
Grandma Mabel's Sauerkraut and Spare Ribs
Today I'm sharing this special part of my family heritage with you. I hope you love Grandma Mabel's Sauerkraut & Spare Ribs as much as I do! The ingredients are simple and few; the secret is in the technique and sauerkraut.
Ingredients
- homemade no-pound sauerkraut *
- ribs **
- lard or bacon fat, for browning
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- apple slice, optional
- seasoning to taste
Instructions
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Very early in the day, melt lard or bacon fat over moderate heat in a very large stock pot or Dutch oven.
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Don't let it smoke.
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Season ribs to taste, then brown ribs on all sides in small batches.
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Return ribs to pot. Layer with sauerkraut and chopped onion.
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Remember, to preserve probiotics, cook only some of your kraut and leave the rest at room temperature (see note below).
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Grandma's secret is in the layering, so don't pile kraut all on top!
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As ribs and kraut cook, their juices will flow down and mingle to create amazing flavor.
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Sample kraut.
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If it's too sour, add a slice or two of apple to draw out tartness. No need to remove before serving -- it will cook down.
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Turn heat to low, cover pot with lid, and allow to cook all day.
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Check occasionally to make sure there is adequate moisture and ribs aren't sticking.
Recipe Notes
*OR Bubbies. Please do not use canned sauerkraut. Not only are the wonderful vitamins, minerals, and friendly bacteria lost in the canning process, but the flavor is tinny and insipid.
If you want to preserve the probiotics, simply divide your kraut and use a small amount in the cooking process while allowing the rest to stay at room temperature. Serve the reserved amount on the side, or gently fold it into the ribs just before serving.
**Bone-in or boneless pork spare ribs, pork chops, or beef ribs (8 ounces per person, plus extra for leftovers).
Serve with mashed potatoes (or caulitatoes!) and homemade applesauce. Leftovers will keep for 1 week and taste better the longer they sit!
What childhood recipes do you love? Have you ever had sauerkraut and spare ribs?
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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This recipe sounds great. I was wondering if it could be bought up to date by using a slow cooker? I have never converted recipes to slow cookers, so am not sure the procedure with most recipes, but this one cooking all day on a burner seems easy to convert, am I right?
Linda — Yes, I think it could easily. Just layer the ribs and kraut in a slow cooker and cook on low all day. Watch the liquid and add as needed. Add an apple if you’d like. Enjoy!
What a yummy dish! I can almost smell it here just by reading it! Thank you for sharing about your grand mother, precious memories. Pinning it!
Thanks Anna! I hope you enjoy it.
It was nice reading your memories of your grandmother. I also had a german “Omi”, but she lived in Germany so we didn’t see her very often, only every few years. I remember her meals well though, she could make anything taste delicious. How I would love to talk to her now!
There is always something about “Grandma’s Cooking” that is special. I find that regardless of how closely I follow her recipes and techniques, it never does taste quite the same way as it did when she made it. 🙂
Yes you’re right, it just doesn’t taste the same
Wow, this looks so good. And I loved hearing about your grandmother. It’s so wonderful when we can share memories of our loved ones through fellowship and good food. Blessings to you, Kelly
Thank you Kelly. 🙂
I just commented during our rib dinner this week that my grandparents’ version with sauerkraut and potatoes would have been satisfyingly good. But I’m the only one in the house who would have eaten it.
Julia, my husband did not like sauerkraut until I fixed him this dish. Now he asks for this often. 🙂
My husband hates sauerkraut as well. He can’t stand the smell or the taste. I’m tempted to give this a try with the apple, but he’s allergic to apple! Is there anything that would cut down on the sour flavour of the sauerkraut?
Aithnea I’ve found that the sourness can depend on the brand. I really like Bubbies; I find it to be very mild in flavor and I have not needed to resort to the apple trick when using it.
Julia Child was not a fan of sauerkraut either, and if I recall correctly I believe she rinsed hers before using it. The result was just a mild cabbage flavor. I saw her do this in one of her early tv programs. Bear in mind though that that will most likely wash away the probiotics as well. I would give the Bubbies a try before taking that route.
Try Bavarian Style kraut. It is sweeter kraut. My mother used it in her recipe.
I am using this recipe today. 3 more hours to simmer. I have made a few changes. I added 1/2 head of a small cabbage. caraway seed, Rosemary and fried onions to the saurkraut. I browned my pork ribs, threw them in the pot with the krout, added some cinnamin apple sauce and a little brown sugar. next 1/2 cup water simmer for 4 hours stirring every 20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Your base is good, Thank you for its simplicity.
Yes, I have known many who disliked sauerkraut, some intensely. The problem is the tart, acidic taste–you either love it or hate it. I love it. But I have converted many by some simple changes: 1) cook the Kraut in a sweet wine, not water. Gewürztraminer or Riesling are the way to go. 2) Fry some onions and use this as the bottom layer. 3) Use some spices! Caraway is popular, but also Rosemary, Thyme, and plenty of black pepper. Put all of the spices in a Bouquet Garni. 4) I am not a big fan of apples, but many are. You will convert many….
To take off the tart flavor when making sauerkraut pierogi, my grandmother used to boil and drain the kraut twice before using it.
I”m wondering do you leave the fat in the pot or do you drain it off before you put the ribs back in with the kraut and onion?
Theresa depending on how much fat, I usually don’t drain the pot; just put everything back in.
Great, Also should I rotate the ribs throughout the day so they all get a chance to be on the bottom?
No. The ribs will end up falling apart. I layer it. Brown all the ribs; remove from pan. Add a small amount of kraut, then a few ribs; kraut; ribs; kraut. Cover and let it cook on low heat all day. Good luck with it! 🙂
As soon as I began reading your story I could taste it. My German grandfather cooked this for us many times. My grandmother cooked too but he loved to cook as well. His version added potatoes and to cut the taste of the kraut he added brown sugar. I would imagine this would ruin the healthy part of it but it is delicious. Also there were times when they tried to use all their pork and times were lean so instead of the ribs they used neck bone. Sounds horrible but same good flavor. My grandparents also made turnip kraut. Has anyone heard of that? I wish i had their recipe but my mom came up with one she thought was close.
Peggy that sounds delicious! Would your grandfather combine the potatoes with the sauerkraut as it was cooking? I’ve never heard of turnip kraut. I’d love to try it though.
Yes the potatoes were with the kraut and neckbone. The turnip kraut was cooked differently. He always heated it in a skillet with a little bacon grease.
This is perfect, my fiancé keeps arguing that people don’t make kraut and ribs (he’s from North Carolina where they slather their ribs in sauce)! I have been craving this dish; which is also something my nana makes often. Now that I’m all the way on the other side of the country I miss many of her meals. She’s not from Germany but Austria. But she would make her kraut and then cook her ribs all day. Thank you for posting this!
My mother and grandmother made this too. It was a poor farmer’s dish but we thought it was the best! Often times they would use whatever kind of pork they had. They also always made dumplings with it made out of boiled bread dough. I learned how to make it (very easy) and have made it some but we no longer eat pork. I like your idea of trying it with beef ribs. I also avoided making it now because I know it will kill the probiotics but I guess I can sacrifice some once in a while!
I used turkey necks & was very satisfied. Was accustomed to pig tails & sauerkraut but never liked pig tails but love sauerkraut. If you don’t like turkey necks I’m sure chicken drumsticks, thighs, maybe even wings would work nicely.
This is the only way we make ribs. If I use store-bought kraut, I do use a jarred shelf-stable (not canned) brand like Eden that is much cheaper than Bubbies. Since the living cultures will be cooked anyway, I figure it’s a way to save a bit of money without much trade-off.
That’s a great idea Susan! Thanks for the tip.
For my money, Eden has the best tasting kraut I’ve tried (and I’m of Polish and German heritage). Excellent flavor. As for this recipe, this is exactly what I’m cooking today, before I even read your recipe! I love your bacon fat suggestion though, that’s exactly what I’ll do since I’ve been saving bacon fat for weeks. Great idea. The only difference is I will add a little beer for the liquid since I have a half of one in the fridge and the flavor will go well with this dish. Loved your story of your grandparents.
About an hour ago I took some country-style boneless spare ribs from the freezer (at l o’clock in the morning!) in preparation for opening a crock of sauerkraut later today. I’ve been cooking kraut and ribs for about 50 years, but every now and then I like to examine other people’s recipes and cooking methods, though I nearly always fall back on my tried and true method which is similar to what Jenny has recommended. I’ve only been making my own kraut for the past six or seven years and still do not think it is as good as my mother used to make when I was a young child, but it is at least as good as any store-bought kraut I’ve tried.
I do not cook my ribs and kraut all day, but I do like to put the ribs on to cook around noon and let them simmer all afternoon. I first season the meat with salt and pepper and brown it in some bacon grease in a large pot, adding the chopped onion sometime during this browning process. Next I add just enough water to cover the meat, and simmer, covered, for about two hours before adding the kraut with a generous amount of the brine. I never fuss with layering the kraut. Rather I more or less smother the ribs with the kraut, but I’m sure the end result is the same once the tender meat begins to fall apart and becomes well-mingled with the kraut.
When I was growing up, the public school cafeteria always served sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and hot dogs every Monday. This was such a disgusting meal compared to my mother’s kraut and spare ribs, that it is no wonder many people presume to hate sauerkraut. For years after I started cooking kraut and ribs, I could not bring myself to serve mashed potatoes with it, so I settled on either baked potatoes with sour cream or cottage fries. Funny thing is, I don’t remember what my mother served with her kraut and ribs, if anything. I just remember the wonderful taste of this meal, including drinking the meaty broth left in the bottom of the pot. Mmmm!
By the way, my mother did seem to be aware of the healthful benefits of fermented foods. During the fall and winter months she would make my sister and I eat a small serving of her raw sauerkraut on almost a weekly basis. To this day I love raw sauerkraut almost as much as I do the cooked, my sister not so much.
Thanks for sharing your recipe and the memories of your grandmother.
Carmen thank you so much for sharing your tips! And yes, that broth at the bottom of the pot is pretty amazing.
I am so glad I found this site today. I have been trying to eat more fermented foods for their probiotic health benefits. I think my hubby is gonna love these! We’re trying to reduce our sugar intake and this is just the ticket. I will comment back again with the results. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Good luck with them Judy! I look forward to hearing how you like it. 🙂
Oh my gosh, my husband’s grandmother used to make this dish, only she used to bake/roast it. One hour the seasoned ribs alone in a covered roaster, one hour covered ribs layered with kraut, one hour uncovered and kraut scraped off the top of the ribs for browning. She always had it with mashed potatoes too 🙂 I love this dish!
Baked or roasted sounds AMAZING Mary. I’ll have to try that the next time I fix this. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
My former Mother-in-law was from Germany and always made this dish. She browned the seasoned ribs, covered with kraut, and then water to cover. I do not remember her using onion, but always caraway seed…that gives it fantastic flavor! …and then grated a potato to cause the broth to thicken. It cuts some of the tartness and salty flavor, also. It cooked slowly all day and was served over peeled, boiled potatoes, that we mashed, seasoned and buttered well, ..and always RYE bread. In fact, I have them cooking right now!
The story of your German grandma is much like mine, she was a superb cook and baker. Most of my favorite dishes that I cook I got from her.
This sounds really good. I am going to make this dish tomorrow night for dinner. Thanks for sharing !!!
Funny, I just had pork steak but no sauerkraut …so browned it well, chopped up half a cabbage (slices) and couple cups of 1 inch cut carrots …stuffed them all together ..added a cup of water and slowly cooked down over a period of 2 to 4 hours.depending on the tenderness of the pork. Most important is don’t buy one of those huge…cabbages. I have found they are not as sweet a cabbage as the much smaller ones. The pork should have enough fat on it for flavor. This was my oldest daughters recipe and never found out where she got it…but to me..it was delicious. Her two kids thought so too and at ages uh…early 30’s, are still loving the dish. Very plain and simple. I’d like sauerkraut better to tell the truth, but you do witih what you have. LOL
Donna Marie
Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been eating this all my life and the version we make is very similar to this. We simply layer raw ribs, kraut, repeat til ingredients used up. Then add water to cover and a bay leaf. We eat it over white rice (growing up part Filipino, everything was eaten with rice). Do you know if this is the most authentic preparation? I saw so many weird variations…
My Grandmother made this dish and it was my favorite! I asked for it every birthday. (I’m 60) But because it didn’t have a name and awhile after my Grandmother died my mom didn’t recognize the recipe I was talking about. I just think it was too hot to cook in August. Lol.
I am ever so grateful to see it here! I assumed it was very difficult and have never tried it. Shame on me. My Grand’s heritage was Czeck, so I guess it’s a popular dish! Thank you from the bottom of my “Ancestry” heart. ??
I don’t know about Bubbies, but all the sauerkraut we have in our area in jars has sulfites in it and lots of people have allergic reactions to sulfites. Don’t slam the canned sauerkraut as the ingredients are just cabbage and water.
HI. This sounds so good! Do you have an adaptation for the Instant Pot? Thank you.