Recipe: Sauerkraut Soup (Kapusniak)

Sauerkraut Soup (Kapusniak)
Source: rec.food.cooking/Myra

1 pound sauerkraut, fresh, canned or packaged
2 pounds flanken or short ribs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound canned tomatoes
4 cups water or enough to cover ingredients by 1 inch
6 gingersnaps, crushed (optional)

Place all the ingredients, except the gingersnaps, in crockpot and add water to cover. Cover tightly and cook on low 18-24 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork tender. Thirty minutes before serving, add the crushed gingersnaps. When the soup is done, remove the flanken and/or short ribs. Skim away as much fat as possible from the soup. If you have time, refrigerate soup overnight and remove all the congealed fat. Cut meat away from the bone and into bite-size pieces, cutting away any fat and gristle. Return meat to the soup. Reheat if necessary.