Pork and sauerkraut is the traditional New Year’s Day meal of Pennsylvania Dutch and German families, eaten on January 1 to bring luck and prosperity for the coming year. The pig symbolizes forward progress and the shredded cabbage stands for money and long life — so sharing a plate of the two together is a way of eating your good fortune into being.
Where the tradition comes from
The custom traveled to America with German-speaking immigrants — the “Pennsylvania Dutch” (a corruption of Deutsch) — who settled the farm country around Lancaster, York, and Berks counties. It’s woven from older European harvest and midwinter beliefs: pork was the meat of plenty because families slaughtered hogs in late fall, and cabbage was one of the few vegetables that kept through winter as sauerkraut.
Today the dish is so tied to the calendar that Pennsylvania grocery stores stock mountains of pork roasts and kraut in the last week of December, and diners across the region put it on the menu for January 1. Eat it that day, the saying goes, and you’re set for a lucky year.
The folklore: pigs, cabbage, and luck
Two pieces of symbolism sit at the heart of the tradition — one about direction, one about wealth.
Choosing the right cut of pork
The dish is a long, gentle braise, so you want a cut that gets more tender the longer it cooks. Fat and connective tissue are your friends here.
Plan on roughly half a pound of raw pork per person for a shoulder, a little more for leaner loin. A 3–4 lb roast comfortably feeds a family of six with leftovers.
Should you rinse the sauerkraut?
This is the question every family argues about, and there’s no wrong answer — only a spectrum of sourness. Straight-from-the-jar kraut is tangiest and saltiest; rinsed kraut is mellow and mild.
A popular middle path: drain the kraut but don’t rinse it, then stir in a spoonful of brown sugar or a grated apple to round off the sharp edge. The long cook softens the sourness on its own, so taste before you decide to add anything sweet.
How to cook it: the oven method
The oven braise is the classic. It’s hands-off, fills the house with the right smell, and gives you a rich pot of juices.
- 1Sear the pork Pat a 3–4 lb roast dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown it on all sides in a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with a little oil. This step builds flavor — don't skip it.
- 2Build the pot Set the pork on a bed of drained sauerkraut (about 2 lb / two 24 oz jars). Tuck kraut around and over the roast. Add a chopped apple or onion and a little brown sugar if you like it sweeter.
- 3Add just a little liquid Pour in about a cup of chicken stock, water, or apple cider — the kraut releases plenty of moisture, so you don't want it swimming.
- 4Cover and braise Lid on, cook at 325°F (160°C) for about 2.5–3 hours, until the pork is fork-tender. A leaner loin may be ready closer to 2 hours.
- 5Rest and shred Let the roast rest 10 minutes, then shred or slice it and fold it back through the kraut and juices before serving.
Free Fermentation Salt Reference Card (printable PDF)
A printable PDF companion for the brine & pickling calculators and guides.
Slow cooker and Instant Pot
Same dish, different appliance. Both are great for a busy New Year’s Day when the oven is full.
Slow cooker: Brown the pork first if you have time, then layer kraut on the bottom, pork on top, and about ½–1 cup of liquid. Cook 6–8 hours on low or 3–4 hours on high, until it shreds easily. Add sausage in the last hour or two.
Instant Pot: Use the Sauté function to brown the roast, then add the kraut and about a cup of liquid (enough to reach the minimum for pressure). Pressure cook a 2–3 lb roast on high for about 60 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10–15 minutes. Larger or thicker roasts may need 75–90 minutes.
Doneness and food safety
Braised pork tastes best cooked well past the safe minimum, so the meat falls apart instead of slicing firm.
Watch for
- Safe minimum for pork is 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest — but that's for firm, sliceable meat
- For fall-apart shredded texture, cook shoulder to 190–205°F (88–96°C) internal
- A lean loin roast can be pulled at 145°F and rested if you plan to slice it
- Kraut is acidic and self-preserving, but always refrigerate leftovers within two hours
If you’re unsure, a probe thermometer takes the guesswork out. When the pork shreds with light pressure from a fork, it’s ready.
What to serve alongside
Pork and sauerkraut is a full-flavored, tangy centerpiece, so the sides are there to soak up the juices and balance the sour.
Round it out with a lucky legume if you like — lentils or black-eyed peas double down on the prosperity theme for the year ahead.
Making your own kraut for the pot
If you want to go all in, ferment your own sauerkraut in the weeks before New Year’s. It’s little more than cabbage and salt, but the salt ratio is what keeps it safe and crunchy rather than mushy or spoiled.
Aim for roughly 2% salt by weight of the shredded cabbage — enough to draw out brine, suppress unwanted bacteria, and let the good lactic acid bacteria do their work. Pack it tight under its own brine, keep it submerged, and let it ferment at cool room temperature for one to four weeks until it’s as tangy as you like. Then it’s ready for the New Year’s pot — homemade luck, from cabbage you salted yourself.
