Cider Braised Pork

Acorn Squash with Applesauce

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes four sides

Every fall when locally grown squash and apples appear in the farmers market together I make this dish. It shows how well ingredients that grow together go together. That’s why it tastes so good!

Acorn Squash with Applesauce

Two acorn squash
A cup or so of applesauce
A few spoonfuls of soft butter
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place skin side down, cut side up in a baking dish. Add a large spoonful of applesauce to the center of each one and top with a pat of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Add a splash of water to the pan then slide into the middle of your oven. Bake until golden brown and caramelized, about an hour or so. Enjoy!

Applesauce

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes four cups

In the fall, when apples are in peak season, I always make a giant batch or two of applesauce and freeze it. It’s so easy that my son Gabe helps out! All winter long it reminds my family of our favourite season. Any apple makes great applesauce but my favourites are Macintosh and Golden Delicious.

Applesauce

A dozen of your favourite apples
A cup of brown sugar
A heaping spoonful of cinnamon
A dash of vanilla
A pinch of salt

Remove the cores from the apples and – leaving the skin on – cut them into several large chunks. Toss into a pot and add the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Add a splash of water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pot, and place over a medium-high heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid.

Stir frequently. In a few minutes the water will begin to steam and the heat will encourage the apples to soften and release their own moisture. When the apples have all softened and the mixture simmers it’s done cooking, about twenty minutes in total.

For a rustic chunky consistency pass the sauce through a food mill or force it through a colander with the back of a spoon. For a smoother version puree in a food processor or blender then pass through a strainer. In either case the skins will be left behind and should be discarded.

Apple Braised Pork with Whole Wheat Spätzle

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Braising is the ultimate comfort food. This method takes a cheap, tough cut of pork and turns it into a magical stew. You wont believe how simple the spätzle noodles are to make, they’re the perfect way to soak up the juices from the pork.

Ingredients:

Pork

• 2 lb. pork shoulder roast, cut in half
• A splash of vegetable oil
• Two or three sliced onions
• Six or eight slices of diced bacon
• 4 x apples, cored and cut into large chunks
• 2 cups or so of applesauce
• A few cups of chicken broth
• A couple of chopped carrots
• Half a bottle of white wine
• A few heaping spoonfuls of grain mustard
• Two or three bay leaves
• A pinch of salt
• A few turns of the peppermill

Spatzle

• 4 x eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 3 cup of whole-wheat flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• Pepper to taste
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp of butter

Directions:

Pork

1. Place a large Dutch oven or stew pot over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom. Carefully add the pork roast to the hot oil and brown well on all sides. Be patient! This is the only opportunity you’ll have to add the rich flavours of browned meat to the dish before the liquids are added and lower the temperature. When the roast is evenly browned set it aside for a few minutes. Drain off the fat then add the bacon and onions. Cook, stirring frequently until the bacon and onions are nicely browned, about fifteen minutes.
2. Return the pork roast to the pot. Add the apples, applesauce, chicken broth, carrots, wine, mustard and bay leaves. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring the works to a simmer, place a tight fitting lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about two hours.

Spatzle

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a smooth elastic batter.
3. Using a rubber spatula carefully push the batter through the holes of a colander or the large holes of a box grater into the boiling water. The spätzle will cook quickly; you’ll know when it’s done as the noodles will float! Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Continue in this manner until all of the batter has been cooked.
4. Heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan until it begins to foam. Add the spätzle in small batches, frying until golden brown.

Apple Braised Pork with Whole Wheat Spatzle

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Dinner for 4-6 with leftovers

Braising is the ultimate comfort food. This method takes a cheap, tough cut of pork and turns it into a magical stew. You wont believe how simple the spätzle noodles are to make, they’re the perfect way to soak up the juices from the pork.

Apple Braised Pork with Whole Wheat Spätzle

For the pork:
A two-pound pork shoulder roast, cut in half
A splash of vegetable oil
Two or three sliced onions
Six or eight slices of diced bacon
Four apples, cored and cut into large chunks
Two cups or so of applesauce
A few cups of chicken broth
A couple of chopped carrots
Half a bottle of white wine
A few heaping spoonfuls of grain mustard
Two or three bay leaves
A pinch of salt
A few turns of the peppermill

For the spätzle:
4 eggs
1 cup of milk
3 cups of whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Pepper to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons of butter

For the pork:

Place a large Dutch oven or stew pot over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom. Carefully add the pork roast to the hot oil and brown well on all sides. Be patient! This is the only opportunity you’ll have to add the rich flavours of browned meat to the dish before the liquids are added and lower the temperature. When the roast is evenly browned set it aside for a few minutes. Drain off the fat then add the bacon and onions. Cook, stirring frequently until the bacon and onions are nicely browned, about fifteen minutes.

Return the pork roast to the pot. Add the apples, applesauce, chicken broth, carrots, wine, mustard and bay leaves. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring the works to a simmer, place a tight fitting lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about two hours.


For the spätzle:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a smooth elastic batter.

Using a rubber spatula carefully push the batter through the holes of a colander or the large holes of a box grater into the boiling water. The spätzle will cook quickly; you’ll know when it’s done as the noodles will float! Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Continue in this manner until all of the batter has been cooked.

Heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan until it begins to foam. Add the spätzle in small batches, frying until golden brown.



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