Adapted from Ideals Family Cookbook · Nancy Watts
Spareribs With Caraway Kraut
Ingredients
- 2½–3 lb spareribs, cut into pieces
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 3½ cups sauerkraut, including its liquid (original: one No. 2½ can)
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1½ cups tomato juice
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2–3 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 unpeeled apple, finely chopped
Directions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Season the spareribs with salt and pepper.
- Combine the sauerkraut, including its liquid, with shredded carrots, tomato juice, brown sugar, caraway seeds and chopped apple. Transfer to a Dutch oven.
- Arrange the ribs meat-side up on top of the sauerkraut mixture.
- Cover and bake for 2½–3½ hours, or until the ribs are tender and cooked through.
- During the final hour, baste the sauerkraut several times with the pan juices. Makes 6 servings.
Cookbook source
“Spareribs With Caraway Kraut,” contributed by Nancy Watts to the Ideals Family Cookbook. The original specifies a No. 2½ can of sauerkraut, explicitly equated to 3½ cups in the recipe itself. It combines sauerkraut and its liquid with carrots, tomato juice, brown sugar, caraway seeds and unpeeled apple, then bakes seasoned spareribs meat-side up on top in a covered Dutch oven at 350°F for 2½–3½ hours. The kraut is basted with pan juices during the final hour; yield 6 servings.
Modern measurement and adaptations
Sauerkraut: Use 3½ cups including its brine instead of searching for the vintage No. 2½ can. This is the exact cup measure printed by the contributor. The dish has no onion or flour to replace. Tomato juice remains as in the original recipe; readers avoiding nightshades can explore a different liquid, but any change would need testing for flavor and acidity.
Cooking note
Cook ribs to the preferred tender texture; the long covered bake tenderizes them. The recipe’s original salt quantity may be generous with salty sauerkraut, so season thoughtfully if using a strongly salted brand.