Polish Pork Ribs and Sauerkraut (Żeberka Wieprzowe)

This recipe for Polish country-style pork ribs and sauerkraut, known as żeberka wieprzowe w kapuście (zheh-BEHRR-kah viehp-ZHAW-veh vef kah-POOSH-chee-eh), is a budget-friendly and filling one-pot meal. An easy meal to prep on a weeknight, this dish cooks in the oven, allowing you to have plenty of time off to go on with your day. The result is a dish of fall-off-the-bone deliciously savory, tangy ribs. They're sweet, too, thanks to a hint of applesauce and sugar. Great with Brussels sprouts, these succulent pork ribs also pair well with all kinds of potato preparations, or on their own with a hearty piece of sourdough bread.

It's traditionally made with caraway seeds, a spice that sets these ribs apart from any other pork ribs. Imparting a beautiful flavor to dishes from baked goods to stews, caraway seeds are widely used in Eastern European cuisine and can be found in soups, loaves of bread, cookies, and all sorts of meaty preparations. The whole version is recommended for our recipe, but if you have ground seeds at hand, simply reduce the amount by one-third, as ground caraway tends to be a lot more potent than its whole counterpart.

Then there's the almighty, tangy sauerkraut, which you can choose to rinse or not, depending on how much sourness you like. This fermented cabbage is also a classic dish in Eastern European cuisine and is eaten as a side dish with plenty of other meaty dishes. Adding the cabbage to the ribs creates a wonderful balance of freshness and tartness. Store-bought sauerkraut works perfectly, but abstain from using types that have added strong flavors, like ginger or turmeric, as these will change the intended flavor of our recipe. Plain sauerkraut is best.