New Year Feast

Chef Andrew Little of Josephine shares recipes for Roast Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut, Braised Collard Greens, and Black-Eyed Pea Salad.

by Erin Byers Murray

December 21, 2016

6:00 AM

Roast Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
One 4- to 5-pound boneless pork shoulder, skin on
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and halved
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
2 pounds sauerkraut
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Pour the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, and place over medium high heat. Season the pork shoulder evenly with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, place the shoulder, skin side down, in the Dutch oven. Brown the shoulder evenly; then remove and place on a plate.

Drain the excess oil from the pot, and add the onion, garlic, apples, thyme, and sage. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the white wine, and stir to combine. Place the shoulder back in the Dutch oven over top of the vegetables, and surround with sauerkraut. Top the sauerkraut with the brown sugar. Cover tightly with a lid, and place in the oven for 4 hours (or until the pork is fork tender).

Braised Collard Greens
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Ingredients:

3 quarts low sodium chicken stock
1 smoked ham hock
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 red onions, sliced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds collard greens, rinsed, stemmed, and sliced thin
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock, ham hock, garlic cloves, red onion, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and Old Bay to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the collard greens, and simmer for an additional 45 minutes (or until the greens are cooked through). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Ingredients:

5 cups black eyed peas, cooked and drained
½ cup olive oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, carrots, Old Bay, and parsley, and stir together until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, possibly overnight.

Of all the holiday traditions and family meals, the one that arrives on New Year's Day might be the most welcome. Signaling the end of the hoopla and merriment, this spread can also revive hope for a lucky new year. Chef Andrew Little of Josephine grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, and his family's symbols of luck were pork and sauerkraut. His wife, Karen, a native Tennessean, ate the Southerner's equivalent: black-eyed peas and collard greens.

'As soon as we got together, we started combining the two,” Little says. 'Our current New Year's dinner represents a straight line drawn from Tennessee to central Pennsylvania,” he adds. 'It's a way to bring our two families together and put both of those shared experiences on the table.”

The couple, who work side by side at the restaurant almost every other day of the year, close up shop on January 1, so that they, too, can take a day of restonly next year, Little will be working at his pop-up restaurant inside Nissan Stadium during the Tennessee Titans football game. 'I wouldn't be surprised if a version of this dish shows up at the stadium that day, too,” he laughs.

2316 12th Ave S, 615-292-7766; josephineon12th.com

Roast Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Ingredients:

Directions:

Braised Collard Greens Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Ingredients:

Directions:

Black-Eyed Pea Salad Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Ingredients:

Directions:

Roast Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Braised Collard Greens
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine

Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Little, Josephine