Székelyalmás (Pork with Apples and Cider Cream Sauce)

Name: Székelyalmás (Pork with Apples and Cider Cream Sauce)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 ⁄ 3 cup olive oil; 4 tbsp. unsalted butter; 1 1 ⁄ 2 lb. pork loin, cut into 1/4″-thick slices; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 ⁄ 2 cup flour; 3 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 1 ⁄ 2 red Holland chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups regular or hard apple cider; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 ⁄ 2 cup heavy cream; 1 ⁄ 4 cup Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp. finely chopped marjoram; 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley; Cooked white rice, for serving

Serves
serves 6

LANDON NORDEMAN

The recipe for tender slices of pork loin in a sumptuous cream sauce comes from Gerda Gherghiceanu, a cook in the Saxon village of Viscri. Fragrant with marjoram, a key herb in Saxon cooking, the dish gets tartness from apple cider and apple wedges and a pleasant twinge of heat from red Holland chiles. This recipe first appeared in our March 2012 issue with Alexander Lobrano's article Eternal Terrain.

Ingredients

¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 ¹⁄₂ lb. pork loin, cut into 1/4″-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup flour
3 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
¹⁄₂ red Holland chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 ¹⁄₂ cups regular or hard apple cider
1 cup chicken stock
¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream
¹⁄₄ cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. finely chopped marjoram
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Cooked white rice, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat 2 tbsp. each oil and butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper, and dredge half the pieces in flour; add to skillet, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate, and set aside; repeat with 2 tbsp. oil, remaining butter, and remaining pork and flour; transfer all pork to plate.

Step 2

Return skillet to heat, and add remaining oil; add apples, garlic, onion, and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add cider, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, cream, and mustard, and bring to a boil; return pork to skillet, and add marjoram. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parsley; serve with rice.

Heat 2 tbsp. each oil and butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper, and dredge half the pieces in flour; add to skillet, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate, and set aside; repeat with 2 tbsp. oil, remaining butter, and remaining pork and flour; transfer all pork to plate.
Return skillet to heat, and add remaining oil; add apples, garlic, onion, and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add cider, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, cream, and mustard, and bring to a boil; return pork to skillet, and add marjoram. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parsley; serve with rice.