2016 New Year’s Pork & Sauerkraut, and Leftovers (With a Birthday Interruption)

[Bearcarver]

2016 New Year’s Pork & Sauerkraut, and Leftovers (With a Birthday Interruption)


Mrs Bear always has to have her Traditional New Year’s Day Pork & Sauerkraut, and with her that means NO SMOKE, so into the Crock Pot goes the 3 Pork Loin Ends I saved for her from the last Pork Loins I made Canadian Bacon with. This meal always comes with Mashed Taters & Butter on the Taters instead of Gravy.
A little Apple Sauce on the side to go with that, and that’s it.

Bear Jr & his Wife (Bethany) joined us again this year.

Then it was Pulled Pork BBQs with the leftover Pork, and Hot Dogs with the leftover Sauerkraut .

These Leftovers had to be Interrupted on Jan 3, for some Halupkis made & delivered by Bethany, for Bear’s 67th Birthday.


So below is everything that went down over those few days at the beginning of the year 2016.


Thanks for stopping by,

Bear







Started with some Pork Loin Ends I saved for Mrs Bear, after cutting them from an Earlier Canadian Bacon Smoke:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2226.jpg.html




Pulled Pork from the Pork Loins:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2228.jpg.html




Sauerkraut made with the Pork in the Crock Pot:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2230.jpg.html




Traditional Simple New Year’s Day Dinner at the Bear Den.
Left to Right: Apple Sauce, Mashed Taters, Sauerkraut, and Pull Pork:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2233.jpg.html




Next Day Leftovers: A little BBQ Sauce mixed with some heated up leftover Pulled Pork, and some Sauce on the roll:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2234.jpg.html




Plenty of Pulled Pork on that roll !!
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2236.jpg.html


We Interrupt these Leftovers to bring you a Special Birthday Treat for Bearcarver, brought to you by Bear’s DIL "Bethany".


One Nice Batch of Halupkis my Son & his Wife brought up to my house for my Birthday:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2237.jpg.html




There they are——Aren’t they Beautiful?!?!
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2238.jpg.html




MMMMMmmmmm——These are Great——Gotta eat them one at a time to make them last longer:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2241.jpg.html


OK—Back to the Leftovers!!


Yellow Mustard on a Toasted Hot Dog Rolls:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2242.jpg.html




Add a bunch of Sauerkraut to the Rolls:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2244.jpg.html




And Finally add the Hot Dogs:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2246.jpg.html

 

[SmokinAl]

Looks good Bear! If it was me, with all the celebrating your doing, I'd be the size of a truck! 

Happy New Year to you & your family!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!

Your only 67?

Your a baby!!

 

[gary s]

Hey Buddy, way too much food goodness for one post, I am in overload, Man that looks good. Does Mrs. Bear make her own Sauerkraut or used canned,  And those things your Daughter-in - law made look terrific. What are in them and how are they made. I need to show up at your house about that time of year,  Nice, nice, nice

Gary

 

[chef jimmyj]

25 years in Central PA, I have made and eaten Pork and Sauerkraut frequently in various restaurants. I Love it, the family, not so much...

  What you got there looks great. Got to love the re-purposed creations. Halupki? Can't grow up in a Polish household and not have them several times a year. Your DIL did a beautiful job. Just a note, my sister in law was pressed for time one morning. Instead of mixing and rolling the Halupki, she cut the cabbage into bite sized pieces and tossed ALL the ingredients into the Crock Pot. My Brother called and was raving over how good it was. I tried this Speed Halupki...Not pretty but the taste is identical and next to no prep time...

... Happy Birthday...JJ

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Looks good Bear! If it was me, with all the celebrating your doing, I'd be the size of a truck! 

Happy New Year to you & your family!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!

Your only 67?

Your a baby!!

Thank You Al !!!

And Best to you & Judy!!

I was up 6 pounds, but they're gone now. Gotta lose some more though.

I don't feel a day over 90.

Bear

 
Hey Buddy, way too much food goodness for one post, I am in overload, Man that looks good. Does Mrs. Bear make her own Sauerkraut or used canned,  And those things your Daughter-in - law made look terrific. What are in them and how are they made. I need to show up at your house about that time of year,  Nice, nice, nice

Gary

Thanks Gary!!

People make them all different, Cabbage leaves stuffed with Ground Beef, or Pork, or Veal, or all three.

Some put Rice in with it. Some cook them with Sauerkraut, some with tomato sauce.

Some lay Bacon over them when cooking.

I've had them Polish, Hungarian, and Ukrainian style, but I forget which is which.

And Thanks for the Point, Gary.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

 
25 years in Central PA, I have made and eaten Pork and Sauerkraut frequently in various restaurants. I Love it, the family, not so much...

  What you got there looks great. Got to love the re-purposed creations. Halupki? Can't grow up in a Polish household and not have them several times a year. Your DIL did a beautiful job. Just a note, my sister in law was pressed for time one morning. Instead of mixing and rolling the Halupki, she cut the cabbage into bite sized pieces and tossed ALL the ingredients into the Crock Pot. My Brother called and was raving over how good it was. I tried this Speed Halupki...Not pretty but the taste is identical and next to no prep time...

... Happy Birthday...JJ

Thanks Jimmy!!

Most people I know would never even think of going through a January first without having Pork & Sauerkraut. And we always make enough Sauerkraut so we have plenty for a good batch of Dogs!!

And I'll bet your SIL's "Unstuffed Halupkis" were great, because Mrs Bear does that same thing with "Stuffed Peppers".

If you never saw this before, check this out:

Link:

Mrs Bear's Unstuffed  Peppers

Thanks Again,

Bear

 

[mdboatbum]

Happy new year and more importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! One of my best friends' grandmother always makes Halupkis whenever I visit. I've started making them on my own, but hers are always something special. Must be that Pennsylvania air.

 

[pc farmer]

Ah yes, another great couple of meals Bear.

I always have kwart and dogs on the 1st, 2nd and sometimes the 3rd. Ha

 

[Bearcarver]

Happy new year and more importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! One of my best friends' grandmother always makes Halupkis whenever I visit. I've started making them on my own, but hers are always something special. Must be that Pennsylvania air.

Thank You & Happy New Year to you & yours too, MDB!!

That's funny, because all of those Hungarian, Polish, and Ukrainian Halupkis I was getting for years were from 3 ladies in their 80s and 90s.

Only one of them is left yet, and she still brings me a big tray full of really good ones every Spring when Mrs Bear does her Income Tax for her & her daughter.

Now my DIL started making them about a year ago, and has been practicing on me. I have to critique them each time, and hers are now almost as good as the others.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Ah yes, another great couple of meals Bear.

I always have kwart and dogs on the 1st, 2nd and sometimes the 3rd. Ha

Thanks Adam!!

And the Kraut seems to get better after reheating over the next few days.

Bear

 

[gary s]

I remember now, I am pretty sure I've had them, but I think they were just called cabbage rolls'

Gary

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I remember now, I am pretty sure I've had them, but I think they were just called cabbage rolls'

Gary

Yup, probably.

My Mother used to make something similar, but they weren't as good as these.

The first time I ever had Halupkis was when I was in High School. My Best Buddy's Mother was always inviting me for Supper, and she was a little Ukrainian who was married to a Big Hunky Steelworker Pusher Foreman. She could make the Hungarian ones & the Ukrainian ones, but the Hungarian ones were my favorite. The last of hers I got were 2 years ago, because she died at age 94. (RIP)    Mrs Bear was doing her Income Tax here at the Bear Den, for the last 30 years, and she'd always bring me some Hunky Halupkis!!!

Bear

 

[gary s]

 
Yup, probably.

My Mother used to make something similar, but they weren't as good as these.

The first time I ever had Halupkis was when I was in High School. My Best Buddy's Mother was always inviting me for Supper, and she was a little Ukrainian who was married to a Big Hunky Steelworker Pusher Foreman. She could make the Hungarian ones & the Ukrainian ones, but the Hungarian ones were my favorite. The last of hers I got were 2 years ago, because she died at age 94. (RIP)    Mrs Bear was doing her Income Tax here at the Bear Den, for the last 30 years, and she'd always bring me some Hunky Halupkis!!!

Bear

Cool story,  Makes me think back, Not to long after Castro took over Cuba a guy showed up at our school

couldn't speak but a few words in English, his father had owned a big sugar plantation, and the government took everything

They came here (To Dallas) one or two at a time. He lived about 2 blocks from me and we became good friends. I ate with them many times and his Grandmother was a fantastic cook, My first experience with Cuban Food. It was great the Plantains rice and pork dishes and the Spices Wow, I haven't thought of that in a long time. Thanks for bringing back such a good memory

Gary

 

[disco]

Sorry to be late to this, Bear. However, I can't believe there is no smoking! Next year, send it all to me so you have a reason to smoke. It is the least I can do to help you celebrate a birthday!

A point for great food for a great person.

Disco

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Sorry to be late to this, Bear. However, I can't believe there is no smoking! Next year, send it all to me so you have a reason to smoke. It is the least I can do to help you celebrate a birthday!

A point for great food for a great person.

Disco

Thank You Disco!!

I figure she's been good to me for 47 years, so I gotta cut her some slack & let her have her NEW Year's Dinner the way she likes it.

And Thanks for the Points, Buddy!!

Bear

 

[bluewhisper]

My Lithuanian mother would make cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef, onion and rice. But no tomato. We called them "kupustai" which is the plural of cabbage. They were steamed at first, then leftovers were fried; scorched cabbage is an acquired taste.

Dad had a funny story from Lithuania, the Soviets had a rail corridor to Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast. One time a troop transport train spotted a field of cabbage, and they stopped the train and robbed the field.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
My Lithuanian mother would make cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef, onion and rice. But no tomato. We called them "kupustai" which is the plural of cabbage. They were steamed at first, then leftovers were fried; scorched cabbage is an acquired taste.

Dad had a funny story from Lithuania, the Soviets had a rail corridor to Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast. One time a troop transport train spotted a field of cabbage, and they stopped the train and robbed the field.

Hmmmm, Mrs Bear's Grammy was from Lithuania, and she escaped across the border, while being shot at by Soviets, when she was 17 years old. 

Mrs Bear said she used to make some kind of stuffed cabbage, but she doesn't remember what she called it & what was stuffed in them.

Bear

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey John.  I'm late--computer was down.  That's a great looking meal.  I LOVE cabbage rolls--one of my favorite foods.  

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!

  

You beat the odds your quack doctor left you with.  Like they say, as long as you're not looking UP at turnip roots, its a GOOD day.

Gary

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Hey John.  I'm late--computer was down.  That's a great looking meal.  I LOVE cabbage rolls--one of my favorite foods.  

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!

You beat the odds your quack doctor left you with.  Like they say, as long as you're not looking UP at turnip roots, its a GOOD day.

Gary

Thank You GaryH !!

May Your New Year be a Great one!!

Bear