Writing about this recipe is a little surreal because I didn’t know this Grandma. I never met her. I think she died before I was even born. You see, my dad is the youngest of ten kids and he loved this meal so much that he described it to my mom so she could make it for him. Of course, I “stuck my nose up” to this meal as a kid, but a couple of months ago I had an insatiable craving for it. Ha! The joke is on me. It must be in my blood. So, what’s a girl to do, but call her mom who has made this hundreds of times, and ask her how to make this wonderful, authentic, family recipe.
Grandma’s Polish Kapusta with Pork Spare Ribs
1 slab of pork spare ribs
2 bay leaves
1 head of cabbage
2 1/4 cups of sauerkraut
salt
pepper (omit for AIP)
1. Cut spare ribs into individual portions.
2. Place pork in a large pot, top with water, and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat to medium, and skim until there is nothing left to skim.
4. Add two bay leaves and simmer on low for about 2 hours until fork tender.
5. Cut cabbage into 1/4 inch slices.
6. Add cabbage and sauerkraut to pot (note I had to remove half of the pork, add half of the cabbage and sauerkraut, add the pork back in, and top off with the remaining cabbage and sauerkraut in order to fit it in my pot). Simmer for another 45 minutes until cabbage is cooked.
7. Here is what it looked like after three hours of cooking cooking time (think low and slow). Don’t forget to fish out the bay leaves which was my dad’s job when he was a kid. Serve the kapusta with some boiled potatoes or a low-carb side dish for a hearty meal.
Grandma's Polish Kapusta with Pork Spare Ribs
Ingredients
- Grandma's Polish Kapusta with Pork Spare Ribs
- 1 Slab of pork spare ribs
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Head of cabbage
- 2 1/4 Cups of sauerkraut
- salt and pepper (omit pepper for AIP) to taste
Directions
- Step 1 1. Cut spare ribs into individual portions.
- Step 2 2. Place pork in a large pot, top with water, and bring to a boil.
- Step 3 3. Lower the heat to medium, and skim until there is nothing left to skim.
- Step 4 4. Add two bay leaves and simmer on low for about 2 hours until fork tender.
- Step 5 5. Cut cabbage into 1/4 inch slices.
- Step 6 6. Add cabbage and sauerkraut to pot (note I had to remove half of the pork, add half of the cabbage and sauerkraut, add the pork back in, and top off with the remaining cabbage and sauerkraut in order to fit it in my pot).
- Step 7 7. Simmer for 35-45 minutes more (think low and slow). Don’t forget to fish out the bay leaves which was my dad’s job when he was a kid. Optional, serve the kapusta with some boiled potatoes for a hearty meal.
Exactly as my little Polish Gram taught me. I also add a brown gravy mix packet to thicken the "pot liquor". The BEST!
Delicious!!!
Looks like my babcis,will make it this week
My grandmother also added some kind of peas/bean I forget which kind?
Probably the same as my mother added. Chick peas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans)
Canned or Frozen Butter beans. You can add some cooked crisp crumbled bacon to the Kraut.
Dried Marrowfat Peas? or Butter Beans?
Yesterday i asked my 95yr old grandmother for her Kapusta recipe and she gave me almost the same recipe!
That’s amazing. Thanks for letting me know because I never got to meet this Grandma.
We would make Kapusta only with sauerkraut, no cabbage. We’d add the potatoes together with the pork ribs and sauerkraut, salt and pepper. We’d Seve it with a generous dollop of sour cream or two. It ALWAYS tasted better on day 3 than day one because the flavors would blend.
Teresa, thank you for sharing another great variation!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. This dish was a staple in my Polish family home, but I failed To get the “recipe.” I know how to cook but I tend to add to and embellish simple homestyle dishes like this and they end up tasting nothing like the original. My husband begged me for “Ribs and Kraut” for years. I procrastinated with the excuse that I really didn’t know how to make it. After finding your post I no longer had an excuse. My husband was very happy and I felt like I had just called my mom, who I lost 22 years ago, and got her procedure for Kapusta and Ribs. Many many thanks!
Jan – Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me your story. I loved reading it. I hated it when my mom made this for my Dad for dinner. Now I crave it every winter. I love knowing that you also call it “Ribs and Kraut.” May it always nourish your souls as well as your bodies.
My grandparents were Polish immigrants and this is the exact same simple recipe I grew up eating and love!!
Husband is southern and never heard of kapusta. The first time I made it he was hesitant but fell in love quickly! Now it’s one of his favorites of my grandmothers recipes!
Love it! Thanks for letting me know – especially as this recipe was recreated from my Dad’s memory. We didn’t have it written down.