Pork, Black Eyed Peas and Sauerkraut
This recipe for pork, black eyed peas, and sauerkraut combines multiple traditions in a simple, one pot meal for New Year’s or anytime of year.
Ingredients
- 2 one pound pork tenderloins
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 teaspoons Red Diamond Kosher salt, divided use half the amount if using table salt
- 2-4 turns freshly ground pepper
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut drained, rinsed, and liquid squeezed out
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake optional
- 1 - 15 ounce can black eyed peas drained
- 2 cups kale rinsed and chopped
Instructions
- Spread each 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard on all sides of each pork tenderloin and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes up to 24 hours. If you’re marinating it for 30 minutes, you can let the pork sit out. If you’re marinating it longer, place it in a 9 x 13 inch pan and cover with plastic wrap or foil or place it in a zip top bag and store in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook the pork tenderloin.
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
- Dice the onion and garlic and set aside.
- Rinse and chop the kale and set aside.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium high in an oven-safe sauté pan or large Dutch oven.
- Sear the pork tenderloins 3-5 minutes on each side.
- While the pork is searing, rinse 1 ½ cups sauerkraut and squeeze out all the liquid. Place it in a strainer over a bowl until you’re ready to add it to the pan in step 10.
- Remove the browned tenderloins from the pan and place them on a plate while you follow the next steps.
- Add 1 diced onion and 2 diced cloves of garlic to the same pan you used to sear the pork tenderloin. Sauté over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes or until the onions begin to look translucent.
- Once the onions are cooked, add ¼ cup white wine and simmer 1-2 minutes.
- Next add 1 ½ cups chicken stock, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flake.
- Add the reserved, 1 ½ cups drained sauerkraut and one can, drained, of black eyed peas, and 2 cups of chopped kale. Bring to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Once the sauerkraut and beans mixture comes to a summer, add the pork tenderloins and any juices collected on the plate back to the pan with the sauerkraut and black eyed peas.
- Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 10-20 minutes or until the pork reaches 145-165 degrees F on an instant-read or meat thermometer. Keep in mind, the pork will continue to cook once you remove it from the oven. I cook mine to 145-150 F so it’s still a bit pink and very tender.
- Remove the pork tenderloins and place them on a cutting board that can catch any juices. Cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice the pork tenderloin and place it on a serving platter. Arrange the sauerkraut, black eyed peas, and greens around the sliced pork.
Notes
If you want the kale to retain more of bright green color, add it a little later in the cooking time. After cooking the pork in the oven for 5 minutes, carefully, remove the pan from the oven and add the 2 cups of chopped kale around the pork.
Place the lid back on the pan and put the pan back in the oven and finish cooking until the pork reaches 145 -150 F on a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer.