Dinner: Sausages and Pork Chops Baked with Fruited Sauerkraut

Transforming cabbage into sauerkraut was one way the Germans preserved summer's crop for the hard winter ahead. A combination of rinsing the kraut of its salty brine and baking it with dried fruit mellows its bite. Smoked pork chops can be substituted; ju

Ingredients

1 2-pound jar sauerkraut, drained
5 bacon slices, chopped
4 pork loin chops (each about 1 1/4 inches thick)
4 assorted fully cooked sausages (such as bratwurst and knockwurst)
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
2 1/2 cups canned chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup quartered dried apricots (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup quartered prunes (about 3 1/2 ounces)
Assorted mustards

Instructions

Place sauerkraut in large bowl. Fill bowl with enough cold water to cover; soak 30 minutes. Drain.
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Cook bacon in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until brown and almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add pork chops to Dutch oven; cook over medium-high heat until golden, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add sausages to Dutch oven; stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to plate with pork chops. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrots to Dutch oven and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.
Add broth, wine, sauerkraut, and bacon to Dutch oven; stir to blend. Cover and bake 45 minutes.
Mix apricots and prunes into sauerkraut. Arrange pork chops and sausages over sauerkraut. Cover Dutch oven; bake until chops are cooked through and most of liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Serve hot, passing mustards separately.

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