Kapuśniak (Polish Sauerkraut Soup with Pork Ribs)

• 900 g Pork spare ribs
• 2 liters Water
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 2 pieces Bay leaves
• 6 pieces Allspice berries
• 12 pieces Black peppercorns
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 500 g Sauerkraut
• 600 g Yukon Gold potato
• 2 medium Carrot
• 2 pieces Celery

1. Put the pork spare ribs in a stockpot with the water. Add the onion, bay leaves, allspice berries, black peppercorns and 1 tsp of the fine sea salt, then bring to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam from the surface for the first 10 minutes.
2. Keep the pot at a steady simmer, partially covered, until the ribs are tender and the broth tastes meaty. Turn the ribs once or twice so they cook evenly. If the liquid drops too much, top up with a little more water.
3. Lift out the ribs and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the broth back into the pot to remove the spices and onion. Pull the meat from the bones, discarding excess fat and any small bones, then return the meat to the pot.
4. Add the sauerkraut to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes to soften and round out the tang. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces; peel the carrots and slice, then slice the celery. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery to the pot.
5. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the vegetables are soft but not falling apart. Taste and season with the remaining fine sea salt if needed. Serve piping hot.

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