Pork and Sauerkraut

• killdeer

  

  it's the New Year...there is something way back in my memory bank that says that we must have pork and sauerkraut to start the New Year...
  
  What is the origin of this tradition?
  How many others follow this ageless culinary delight?
• darbypitcher22

  

  I'll eat the pork; not the sauerkraut
• tuskytuffguy

  Gonna be Kraut in my house! If it's gonna be good kraut, it's gotta be Sweet Willie's in a bag. None of that canned shit. Add a can of beer and some brown sugar, and I'm in heaven! Although, my stomach and ass will punish me for it.
• killdeer

  

  ^^^agree with that...canned sauerkraut is like cabbage in water.
  Beer is good.
• GoPens

  

  kraut not allowed to stink up my house.
• killdeer

  

  ^^^apparently it imbues good luck...that is the deal...!
• BRF

  

  It's our German heritage here.
  
  Bring it all on.
• killdeer

  

  it is already in the Crock Pot............
• salto

  

  Had brats with mustard and kraut....awesome!
• believer

  

  Pork and bagged kraut here too! A little beer and brown sugar...ummmmmmmm.
  
  The stinkier the better. The German line in me insists.
  
  Put a little kraut on top of those buttered mashed taters too please!
• jm71witmr

  Having our kraut and brats today. Am not a fan of sauerkraut. Its a tradition and my wife is in charge of kitchen : ).
  Happy New Year- all.
• Gobuckeyes1

  Just got done putting it in the crock pot. Pork, potatoes, kraut, apples, beer. Should be ready by kickoff of the Rose Bowl.
  
  Definitely a tradition for my family, and a good way to celebrate my German heritage and hopefully bring some good luck for the new year!
• Apple

  

  Getting ready to put a pork loin, kruat, potatoes in the crock right now... kind of wish I had thought of the apples!
  
  I'll need that good luck ...lots of goals and hopeful improvements are going to happen this year.
• heinieg71

  Both sets of my grandparents, both very German, said that you have pork and sauerkraut for good luck in the coming year. We do it every year. Have a pork loin ready to go on the grill and kraut ready to go as well. Awesome.
• Gobuckeyes1

  Apple wrote: Getting ready to put a pork loin, kruat, potatoes in the crock right now... kind of wish I had thought of the apples!
  
  I'll need that good luck ...lots of goals and hopeful improvements are going to happen this year.

  I hear ya...plans for this upcoming year include resigning from my current job, selling our house, relocating for my wife's job, and the birth of my son (we already have a 3 year old daughter). All of this will be happening within the next six months. Also, my brother is headed to Afghanistan and they are having a child as well, so I will be standing in for him as much as possible since he farms 150 acres and needs someone to do the work for him while he is away.
  
  I think I'm going to eat as much sauerkraut as I can today...
• Writerbuckeye

  

  believer wrote: Pork and bagged kraut here too! A little beer and brown sugar...ummmmmmmm.
  
  The stinkier the better. The German line in me insists.
  
  Put a little kraut on top of those buttered mashed taters too please!

  A man after my own heart
  
  The pork & kraut are in the crock pot awaiting kickoff of the Rose Bowl game.
  
  As to the origin: I've always been told it's to bring good luck in the New Year. Here's a brief description I found:
  
  NEW YEAR'S DAY TRADITIONS
  
  Pork & Sauerkraut are a main dish for New Years Day in the German heritage, as pigs are considered good luck charm symbols and cabbage leaves are symbolic of money, thus having pork and Sauerkraut are felt to be the best way to pave the way for the New Year. This goes back to the distant past when farm families who had a pig felt they were lucky enough to have one to feed their families during the winter. Pigs thus became good luck charms and were also used then for saving money in piggy banks. In German one says "ich habe Schwein gehabt," or I have had pig," which means colloquially that: I have had good luck!" Little pigs of cake or candy (marzipan - almond paste is popular) are also produced. The custom really demonstrates the ancient rural origins of this particular custom.
  
  This graph is from the University of Cincinnati library on traditions. Scroll down to the last one. http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/ger_americana/traditions.html
• BCSbunk

  That is what I had last night and will today. Just a tradition I adopted from my parents.
• cat_lover

  Rueben sandwich last night. Pork Loin and Kraut today. German heritage here as well.
• hootie44

  "If you've ever seen a pig, all four feet are pointing forward, so it's going forward into the New Year."
  
  the "good luck" part of eating the black-eyed peas goes like this: if you start the New Year dining in humility (eating the peas), you will become more prosperous as the year progresses. Actually, black-eyed peas aren’t peas at all but legumes, a member of the bean family. Some serve the peas with greens and cornbread. According to tradition, the peas represent coins, the greens symbolize paper money, and the cornbread stands for gold. I've heard that some cooks add a penny to the cooking pot; the person who gets the dished up coin will be showered with good fortune all year long.
• miller45452003

  5 1/2 lb. pork loin, kraut, apples, beer, brown sugar all in the slow cooker now....mmmmm. Mashed potatoes and applesauce to go with it. Ready in time to watch the domination of the Ducks!!
• royal_k

  

  miller45452003 wrote: 5 1/2 lb. pork loin, kraut, apples, beer, brown sugar all in the slow cooker now....mmmmm. Mashed potatoes and applesauce to go with it. Ready in time to watch the domination of the Ducks!!

  Got that right....The Buckeyes will dominate the Ducks!
• Preacher

  Ribs and Kraut. Watching the Buckeyes go Duck Hunting.
• Angel

  It isn't New Years without Pork and Sauerkraut!
  
  I can't remember a New Years without it!
  
  I smell it cooking in the crock pot now. MMMMMMM........
  
  Can't wait. Probably eat it during the Ohio State game.
• dancinbear

  Our family has always done corned beef on New Years. This year I'll be at Frickers for the game so I'll have a BLT and coleslaw....that counts right?
• killdeer

  

  ^^^take the cabbage anyway you can get it!