Pork and Apple Stew (Slow Cooker)

What apple do you like best for this?

"I tend to use a few different ones - usually what ever looks good. The last time I made it I used a mix of Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Granny Smith. For the apples that are to be added at the end I used McIntosh. " I just love whatever comes out of my slow cooker :) However, I'm a little concerned about this recipe, since I'm not sure about what kind of apples I should be using. I'm really unfamiliar with the kinds that you use, could you please tell me a bit more about this? I mean... should the apples be sweet and soft like the ones I usually buy, or a bit more firm and greenish?

sounds great, combination of sweet apple and salty prociutto, any idea where this recipy comes from ( country or region)

I have prepared many dishes with Apple Cider and Calvados, both Pork or Chicken, with Apples, and the sources always recommend Golden Delicious as it is non over powering and works very well with Normandy Style Apple Cider Pork or Chicken. Pollo a la Sidra, an Asturian ( northern Spain ) also has a similiar dish, and it recommends Golden Delicious.

 

Have nice August.

Margaux.

made it today as a daymenu. add a little red pepper for some kick but quite liked it overall. i used a granny smith for the finishing touch fried apple, looks good on colour and the sour taste is a nice contrast with the salty ham

Sounds lovely Chef Len the Man ... Have photo to post ?

 

True granny smith pairs fabulously with smoked or salty ham varieties.

 

Margaux.

Chef Len,

 

Asturias, in northern Spain and Normandy, France apple country.

 

There may be more regions that prepare pork or chicken with apples however, these are the ones I am most familiar with outside of the USA.

 

Normandy and Asturias, are quite well recognised for their Apple Cider called Sidra in Asturias, France´s Apple Brandy Calvados and other apple based dishes, desserts and pastries.

 

Perhaps, if I am not mistaken, when we were over in Trieste, Port City in the province of Trentino Alto Adige, the northeastern province bordering Austria in Italia. They have numerous apple desserts and streudels, It is possible they also prepare apple and pork stew entrèes ...

 

Margaux.

Edited by margcata - 8/24/12 at 1:47am

English cider is excellent, as is Somerset and Hereford apple brandies. The cider is always alcoholic and is used in many, many savoury and sweet dishes.

Trentino Alto Ridge?  where is that?

We love pork, but it seems like the meat that I find as a home cook in the local supermarkets (we’re not around any pig farmers) doesn’t have very much fat to it.  In turn the meat is dry, tough and lacking in flavor.

As for apples, when we were in Portland, we went to a farmers market that had an apple that I wish I could find again.  So delicious, crisp, juicy, sweet but not the ordinary names…I wish I could remember what it was… I want to say Cortland, but I can’t recall…drat this OldTimersdisease …

Siduri,

Trentino Alto Adige, Northeastern Italy.

The Port City of Trieste is absolutely wonderful, if you ever have a chance to get up there.

Margaux.

Edited by margcata - 8/25/12 at 2:56am

Chef Kirk B.

 

North America, both the USA and Canada are enormous apple producers, and Canada´s apple cider & apple brandy are quite popular. If I am not mistaken, Washington State is the USA´s largest producer of apples, however, Connecticut, Vermont, New York State are also quite large in apple production of various varieties.

 

My maternal family prepared Porc à la Normande. Apples and cows have been very prominent in this northwestern dairy region of Normandy. The apples are pressed for cider and are then distilled into Calvados, apple brandy. There are over 100 Apple species growing in Normandy and the fruit is used in numerous regional dishes.

 

My Grandmom Margot and my Mom Eva have prepared the following dish as I have and my two daughters.

 

Recipe: Porc á la Normande = Pork with Apples, Calvados and Apple Cider

 

1 pound Pork Tenderloin, trimmed, sliced and cut into 1 1/4 inch slices or 1 1/2 Inch Stew Cubes

5 tablespoons creamy French style butter at room temperature

4 Granny Smith Apples or Golden Delicious ( your selection of apple variety )

1/4 teaspoon sugar to sprinkle

3 large shallots finely chopped

1/4 cup Calvados or Other Apple Brandy of Choice

1 cup Cream

1/4 Cup Apple Cider

 

1. If you select to use the slices: place the slices of tenderloin pork between plastic wrap and pound the slices of pork with a mallet to 1/4 inch thickness. If you choose the cubes, do not do this step.

 

2. Sauté  2 tblsps. butter in heavy skillet over medium heat and add the peeled and cored apples with the sugar to skillet and sauté until golden about 6 minutes and set aside

 

3. melt 2 additional tblsps of butter and season pork with salt and pepper ( black freshly ground) and sauté the Pork until just cooked through about 2 to 3 mins. Transfer to tented plate and keep warm.

 

4. melt another tblsp of butter in same skillet and add the shallots, thyme which is sautéed 2 mins, and then add the Calvados and boil and reduce to a glaze scraping up all brown bits.

 

5. stir in cream and cider, and boil until the mixture evolves into a thick sauce, about 3 to 4 mins. 

 

6. season with salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

7. reheat the apples if necessary and arrange a few pieces of pork on each plate, and spoon sauce drizzling over and top generously with sautèed apple pieces and serve with Cider or Sparkling white wine and crusty bread.

 

Kind regards.

Margaux.

above all first i need to apologise for late reaction, aas i stated in my intro, i just took over the restaurant and time is a precious thing at the moment so i dont allways have enough of that to respond in time. Thanks for help locating this dish chef margcata and chef kirkb. Sorry i forgot to take photos, i will take care of that next time i prepare a dish from this website. As soon as i have mnore time in hands ( winter) i will spend more time on this forum. Its great connecting with people from other parts of the world to get inspiration going. Last time i was in eastern europe i had a sauce which i was sure contained like an apple sirop inside, very sweet , very sticky ( a bit klike a maple sirop made from apple) anyone have any experience in that. We do have that apple sirop in holland and use it as smth to put on our bread, its much more sticky than a normal confiture or jam, much thicker also

 

thanks for all respons

\

Len

Len, Buonasera,

 

Firstly, I am not a Professional Chef. I am a journalist.

 

My paternal Italian Nonna owned a trattoria in NYC and thus, I grew up around food.

 

I appreciate ur kind note.

 

*** To answer your enquiry about Appelstroop : is this the Dutch apple syrup made that is made with: apple cider, lemon juice, cinammon,sugar and anise ?

 

Very popular in Amsterdam ...

 

Kind regards. Margaux.

thats the one, not sure about the cider though, its definately non alcoholic

Len,

 

There are all types of Cider, from non alcohol in content to European Union alcohol level max. in apple ciders.

 

I know Sidra, the Asturian, Spanish Apple Cider, has from Zero +

 

One that definitely exports is El Gaitero ( The Piper with a Bagpiper on label ). It can be purchased at Latin American Groceries.

 

I believe you could Sub a Farmer´s Market Non Transparent Apple Juice freshly prepared and lessen the quanitity so you have a stunner sauce.

 

 

Kind regards. Margaux.

This looks great thanks for sharing it. My only complaint would be that it requires to much non-slow cooker work. I am a fan of slow cookers and throwing it all in at once but would be willing to try the slow cooker. Have you tried using a less expensive cut of meat in place of the prosciutto? My wife is a huge slow cooker fan and I will pass it on and let you know the outcome. Thanks for sharing man.

Photo Courtesy: Margaux´s Pork with Apples Normandy Style

 

Prepared with Techniques of:

 

Madrid Capital Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by margcata - 8/26/12 at 2:45am

Kirk,

 

Thanks for posting, I have never used a slow cooker, however, we Mediterraneans, and machines are not too common here. However, the recipe is lovely.

 

I would like to try it as a sauté and / or Dutch Oven stove top, similiar to my Mom´s.

 

Best regards.

Marge.