Growing up in PA (It is not called Pennsylvania – it is called PA) — certain foods weren’t optional. Pork, kielbasa, and sauerkraut weren’t just something you made when the weather turned cold – It was THE New Year’s Day meal. The kind of meal that meant something, whether anyone explained it out loud or not.
The tradition is simple and practical, just like the food itself. Pork symbolizes moving forward — pigs root ahead, not backward — and sauerkraut represents abundance and luck for the year to come. Kielbasa often shares the pot, a nod to the overlapping food traditions that shaped kitchens across the state. Together, they make a meal that’s hearty, familiar, and deeply rooted.
This wasn’t about presentation or variety. It was about preservation and timing. Cabbage became sauerkraut because it needed to last. Pork was used because it fed a lot of people well. Slow cooking brought everything together, mellowing the tang of the sauerkraut and letting the meat soak up all that flavor. Every family had their own way of doing it, but the heart of the meal stayed the same.
When this dish cooks all day, the house smells like New Year’s. Sour, savory, rich, and comforting. Some people add apples. Some brown the kielbasa first. Some keep it exactly as it’s always been. That’s the point — it’s not precious. It’s dependable. For me – I don’t do anything special – I want it to taste like the ingredients.
This year, I also made my own sauerkraut instead of buying it. Not to make things complicated, but to stay closer to the spirit of the tradition. Cabbage, salt, and time. That’s how it’s always worked. Making it yourself slows things down in a good way and ties the whole meal together — from the jar to the crockpot.
This dish lasts because it makes sense. It’s simple. It feeds people well. And it marks the start of the year with intention, not noise.
New Year’s Day Pork and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- Pork Loin (I like to use 2 pork tenderloins)
- Sauerkraut (store-bought or homemade)
- Kielbasa, cut into large chunks
Directions
- Place the pork tenderloins in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Dump the sauerkraut directly over the pork.
- Arrange the kielbasa pieces on top.
- Put the lid on and cook low and slow for 8 hours.
That’s it. No fussing. No overthinking. Just let it cook and do what it’s always done.
However you make it — with store-bought sauerkraut or homemade, pork loin or tenderloin, kielbasa or not — the heart of this meal stays the same. It’s about starting the year fed, steady, and moving forward. Pork, kielbasa, and sauerkraut isn’t just a New Year’s meal in PA; it’s a quiet way of carrying something familiar into whatever comes next, one slow-cooked pot at a time.
Thanks for being here.
Till next time ~
— Angie
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