brined lamb and sauerkraut

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• brine:
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups apple juice
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 3 tablespoons dark molasses
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 cups ice, divided - or as needed
• 1 (4 pound) lamb loin roast
• 2 (27 ounce) cans sauerkraut, drained
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ready Time: 9 hrs 20 mins


• pour water, apple juice, vinegar, molasses, kosher salt, pickling spice, and black peppercorns in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and molasses. simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. pour 2 cups ice into brine and stir to melt ice and cool brine.
• place lamb loin into a large container and pack 2 more cups ice, or as needed, around the meat. pour brine over ice and lamb, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight.
• remove lamb roast from brine and place into a slow cooker; pour 2 cups brine over the meat. discard remaining brine. spread sauerkraut, onion slices, brown sugar, fennel seeds, and coriander over lamb roast. set cooker on low and cook for 3 hours. add carrots to slow cooker and cook 1 more hour; add apples, cranberries, and walnuts and cook until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 160 degrees f (70 degrees c), about 1 hour more.