Polish country-style pork ribs and sauerkraut ,known as żeberka wieprzowe country style pork ribs kapuście is an economical, hearty and delicious meal. Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. It’s traditionally made with caraway seeds, a spice that sets these ribs apart from any other pork ribs. Then there’s the almighty, tangy sauerkraut, which you can choose to rinse or not, depending on how much sourness you like.
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Pat pork ribs dry with paper towels. Rub ribs all over with garlic, salt, and pepper. In a shallow roasting pan, place the ribs meaty-side down. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 F. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the ribs so they are now meaty-side up. In a large bowl, combine sauerkraut—rinsed or not—applesauce, brown sugar, and caraway seeds, mixing well.
Pour the sauerkraut mix over the pork ribs. 2 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender and well cooked. An instant-read thermometer inserted away from the bone must read at least 145 F. Remove from the oven and serve hot with your favorite side dishes. Easily made by layering thinly sliced cabbage with salt, the vegetable is then left to ferment at room temperature for two to four weeks. Lactobacilli, which are already present in the cabbage, do the fermenting job, and there is no need for pasteurizing the product, although doing so can extend its shelf life. I don’t like this at all.