Grandma's Pork Dinner

My Grandma, Eleanor Beitz Fisher, died in her own bed in 2006 at the ripe old age of 93. She was not a gourmand, but like many from her generation she made wonderful Sunday dinners for her family each and every week without fail.

Well, tonight, to honor my Grandmother, I made a traditional German roast pork dinner with dumplings and sour gravy. I've made this on several occasions for my friends, and I usually tell the story of how this was the big Sunday meal that my Grandma always used to make when we were trying to be fancy. Like for birthdays, etc.

When she started getting too old to cook but still young enough to remember, I asked her to teach me how to make this somewhat complex meal, since I was already missing it, and I wanted to keep the tradition going. She obliged, first giving me the recipes from her head over the phone and then coming over in person, tasting my very first attempt.

At the time it was a little haphazard, the dumplings were too gelatinous, the gravy was thin.. but now, after making it probably 20 times or more, I've gotten pretty good at the timing and essence of the thing. I wish I could have made it for her tonight so that she could tell me if I've learned enough to be the official Pork Dinner maker. I guess by default, now I am.

To torture you, I'll tell you we had (sadly, I don't have my camera on me!):

    Port roast covered with bacon
    Sauerkraut (drenched in the pork drippings... *drool*)
    Dumplings (not perfect, but just about there. Fluffy and firm, like I like them!)
    Roast potatoes (which turned out *excellently*, deep golden brown and creamy)
    Baked beans
    Applesauce
    Sour gravy (this is a gravy made from the pork drippings mingled with the sauerkraut 'juice'.. don't wince, it's very tasty!)


By the end we were all barely mobile, as there were only three of us and that meal easily serves 6. We didn't even have dessert, we were so stuffed.

While not ordinarily a woman prone to excess in any shape or form, I don't think Grandma would have minded us making pigs of ourselves in her honor. I thought about her each step of the way.. even the steps where I did something different than she would have. It was a lovely tribute and it made me feel very connected with her, as it always does when I make that dinner. And I got to share it, which is the very best part.
Grandma Fisher’s Pork Roast Dinner

Roast Pork:

Pork roast or Pork Tenderloin
1 onion
Seasoned salt, salt, pepper
1small package bacon (if desired)

Choose a roast that has a good color.  If using pork tenderloin, you may want to strap two of them together to create a larger roast.

Preheat oven to 375.  Add meat to roasting pan or large baking dish.  Sprinkle seasoned salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper on the roast.  Drape bacon slices (if desired - a Gwynne addition) over roast to cover.  Slice the onion into wedges and add around the roast.  (Eleanor never did this - this step was added by Gwynne when she took over the pork-making duties in the family - it adds a wonderful smell to the house, as well as flavors both the gravy and sauerkraut beautifully.)
Cook for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the bacon is looking good enough to eat.  CHECK it…   it sometimes takes longer than you think.

Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest at least 15 minutes while you’re making the dumplings.

Dumplings (to serve 3-4):

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
1 egg, beaten in a 1/2 cup measure
Enough milk to fill measure

DOUBLED:

2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
2 eggs, beaten in 1 cup measure
Enough milk to fill measure

Add milk to egg
Add milk and egg to dy ingredients, knead a little
Drop by heaping serving spoonfuls into ROLLING boil water
Cover pan - 5-7 minutes


Sour Gravy:

Fat from roast, sauerkraut in pan to heat up
Stir until sauerkraut is coated with fat
Strain sauerkraut, reserve drippings and sauerkraut ”juice”
Add 1 Tbsp corn starch to a little cold water and add to juices to make gravy.

Serve!