Porchetta is the unquestioned and unalterable Italian American New Year's Dinner. Some say that pork is served for the New Year because unlike other animals that scratch and paw backwards, the pig ruts forward. Another, perhaps more practical reason, is that winter was the time when pigs were slaughtered: the cooler weather more conducive to safe treatment of the meat.
The curious part of this Italian American tradition is the side dish that is served with the pork, sauerkraut. Every Italian American I asked immediately noted that sauerkraut always accompanies the porchetta. No one, however, knew why. Sauerkraut is an Eastern European dish that is completely unknown in Italy. Was sauerkraut something the immigrant Italians learned from their German and Slavic neighbors? If this is the case, how did it come about? Their neighborhoods and butcher shops were most distinct. One way or another, the marriage of porchetta with sauerkraut is one of the most wonderful moments in food fusion. Serve the porchetta with mashed potatoes and green peas.

Recipe

There is really no recipe as such for porchetta and sauerkraut. The ingredients are already in place. The only part that remains in the cooking.
For the porchetta, the quality of you serve is dependent entirely upon the butcher. While I have seen commercial prochetta in chain grocery stores they have almost nothing in common with a porchetta hand cut spiced and tied by a good butcher. My butcher is D'Angelo Brothers on 9th Street in Philadelphia. The pork is beyond delectable. First,set a thermometer with an outside reader in the pork. For the roasting I set the porchetta in a 500 degree oven for about fifteen minutes. Then, I turn the heat down to 300 and roast until the temperature reaches about 150. When the porchetta is at 150. remove it from the over and cover with foil The temperature will continue to rise to about 165-170. The meat should still have a blush of pink..

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Sauerkraut

Unless you want to get into the long process of curing your own sauerkraut, the easy solution is to buy a plastic bag of sauerkraut at your local grocery store. In a heavy covered pot, simmer the sauerkraut with the following for at least an hour.

2 sturdy apples, like Fuji, quartered
2 sweet onions, quartered.
2 or 3 star anise
5 or 6 cloves
Add enough white wine to cover the sauerkraut, apples and onions.

Pork gravy

What you need:
Inexpensive cuts of pork on the bone.
Onions
Celery
Carrots
White wine
Chicken or vegetable stock

The gravy takes a good two to three hours at a slow simmer. 
In a heavy brown several pieces of inexpensive cut of pork with meat and bones. 
Slice an onion, some carrots and celery and suatee them in the pot.
Fill the pot with the pork and vegetables half way with white wine.
Bring to a slow boil for about 20 minutes.
Add another two cups of chicken or vegetable stock.
Let this simmer until it reduces by half.
Strain out the liquid.

If you want a thick gravy, make a butter and flour roux and mix it into the meat and wine essence.