Hallich Nei Yaahr!

That's "Happy New Year" in Pennsylvania Dutch, the fast-dying dialect spoken by the frugal Germanic oldsters where I grew up. The tradition, which I've written about before, is to ring in the new year with a big plate of pork and sauerkraut for good luck. Judging by my Facebook feed, I am not alone in maintaining the tradition! Here's what we ate last night:


Das ist gut! If you could use a little luck to start 2014 off right, you can't go wrong with this dish! 

On the plate:

Sauerkraut (fermented and canned — here's how)

Applesauce (also homemade and canned — more how-to)

Smothered Pork Chops (Kirk uses an excellent recipe from America's Test Kitchen, but we also modify it with whatever herbs and veg we have on hand — I believe chopped apples and some mincemeat were added to the sauce this time around. One part you should never, ever change, though, is the crumbles of bacon for garnish.)

Mashed potatoes (You don't really need a recipe for this, do you? We seasoned ours with just a smidge of rosemary and sage.)

Hallich Nei Yaahr!

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