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ysabetwordsmithSupper tonight turned out scrumptious. The pork steaks were great, but ultimately eclipsed by the pie. I give the pie 10 out of 10 points on flavor; overall score, though, only 9.5 because it oozed juice into the bottom of the pan. I have ideas for thickening it just a bit. The flavor ... mmmm, purrrrrr. I decided that I'd been mature enough for today, and licked the plate.
Ingredients:
2 pounds of pork steaks, thawed
1/4 teaspoon Muntok white peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Madagascar green peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian red salt
1/4 teaspoon clove powder
1/2 teaspoon dried lemon thyme
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Granny Smith apples (4 small or 2 large)
1 small sweet onion
1 can chicken broth
1 canful apple cider
pinch Hawaiian red salt to taste
ground Muntok white pepper to taste
Directions:
In a mortar, combine 1/4 teaspoon Muntok white peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon Madagascar green peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian red salt. Crush together. Add 1/4 teaspoon clove powder and 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon thyme. Stir.
Pour the spice mixture into a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup apple butter, 1/4 cup apple cider, and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar. Mix thoroughly. This marinade should be thick enough to cling to a pastry brush but not too pasty; adjust proportions if necessary.
Use the pastry brush to coat both sides of each pork steak. Stack the steaks in a shallow container. Pour any remaining marinade over the top of the steaks. Put the lid on the container and allow to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Slice the apples and remove the cores. Put the apple slices in a large bowl. Peel the onion. Slice it and separate the slices into sections. Mix together the pieces of apple and onion.
Remove the pork steaks from the refrigerator. Put one pork steak in the bottom of the crock pot. Put a double-handful of apple and onion slices over the pork steak. Continue layering until you run out of ingredients. Pour the can of chicken broth into the bottom of the crock pot. Fill the same can with apple cider and pour that in too. Sprinkle a pinch of Hawaiian red salt over the contents of the crock pot. Grind a bit of Muntok white pepper over everything.
Turn crock pot on “Low,” cover, and cook for four or more hours. After the apple and onion slices start to soften and release their juices, use a spoon to stir them around some and scoop the broth over the pork steaks. The dish is done when the apple and onion slices are soft, and the pork steaks come apart easily.
Notes:
Pork steak is a cheap cut of pork. It benefits from long, slow cooking. The marinade helps make it tender and the broth keeps it moist. My package had three steaks in it, so I put one on the bottom of the crock pot, then a layer of apple/onion, one steak in the middle, the rest of the apple/onion, and the last steak on top.
Granny Smith is a popular type of cooking apple. These apples have bright green skin and crisp white flesh. They are sour, but they hold their shape and flavor well even when cooked for a long time. Usually they are huge – up to softball size – but this time I could only find little ones. You could substitute some other variety of cooking apple. Use what you have.
Fancy types of salt and pepper add to the character of a dish. Muntok white pepper has a mellow, mild flavor and Madagascar green pepper has a fresh spicy flavor with fruity notes. Hawaiian red salt has iron-rich clay added to it, which gives a subtle yet rich earth-metallic note to meat. It is especially favored for use with pork.
Red wine vinegar has a dark fruity flavor. Apple cider vinegar would also work well in this recipe; I just didn’t have any.
In the end, this dish came out quite well, savory and tangy and a little sweet. The pork steaks are tender, though not quite as much as when they’re made with mango marinade: the apple-marinated steaks will cut with a fork along the grain, but to cut across the grain takes a table knife.
----------------------
Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust, thawed
4 Ginger Gold apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger chips
5 tablespoons butter
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Peel the ginger root. Grate it (or mince it in a food processor) and measure 1 tablespoon. Extra ginger can be frozen for later use.
Slice the apples and remove the cores. Put the apple slices in a large glass bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the apple slices and toss to coat evenly. Add 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger and 1/3 cup white sugar over the apple slices. Toss to coat evenly.
In a medium-size bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup quick rolled oats, and 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger chips. Mix thoroughly. Slice 5 tablespoons of butter into pats and add them to the bowl. Use a butter cutter to combine dry ingredients with butter, until loose and crumbly.
Put the apple slices into the pie crust. Scrape the bowl to get all the sugar and spices onto the apples. Gently arrange the apple slices so they lie flat. Spoon the crumble topping over the apples, covering them completely.
Bake the pie at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Then take it out and check for doneness. Poke a fork into the center; the pie is done when the apples are tender but not mushy. Also check the edges of the crust; they should be golden brown. If it’s not done yet, return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes and check it again. Adding a pie shield during the later stage will help prevent burned crust.
Notes:
Yes, I cheated a bit and used a premade frozen pie crust. This would probably be better with a homemade crust. I was just too busy for that today.
Ginger Gold is an early-season dessert apple that ripens in late August to early September. These apples have yellow skin and crisp white flesh. They really do taste of ginger – a bright, high note of spice soaring above the overall apple flavor. Because they are dessert apples rather than real cooking apples, be careful not to overcook them or the flavor and texture will melt away.
Could you use some other type of apple in this recipe? Sure, but it wouldn’t have quite the same spritely taste. This is truly a seasonal treat, because Ginger Gold isn’t a “keeper” variety; it’s only available a few weeks out of the year. Savor it accordingly.
The filling and crumble topping are designed to have a nice flavor contrast. Notice the use of white sugar, lemon juice, and fresh ginger in the filling vs. brown sugar, crystallized ginger, and allspice in the topping. The powdered ginger helps unify the flavors.
If you can’t find crystallized ginger chips – Ginger People is an excellent brand – then you can substitute regular crystallized ginger chunks minced finely.
I wound up cooking my pie 20 minutes, then 10 minutes with a foil pie shield, then another 3 minutes with the shield off. Total time = 33 minutes.
The flavor turned out exactly as I hoped: bright and sweet and sprightly. The texture was almost perfect: apples tender but not mushy, and the pie held together well, but oozed juice into the bottom of the pan. Next time I’ll try adding a bit of unflavored gelatin or tapioca to thicken it just a smidge.
Pork Steaks with Apples
Ingredients:
2 pounds of pork steaks, thawed
1/4 teaspoon Muntok white peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Madagascar green peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian red salt
1/4 teaspoon clove powder
1/2 teaspoon dried lemon thyme
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Granny Smith apples (4 small or 2 large)
1 small sweet onion
1 can chicken broth
1 canful apple cider
pinch Hawaiian red salt to taste
ground Muntok white pepper to taste
Directions:
In a mortar, combine 1/4 teaspoon Muntok white peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon Madagascar green peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian red salt. Crush together. Add 1/4 teaspoon clove powder and 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon thyme. Stir.
Pour the spice mixture into a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup apple butter, 1/4 cup apple cider, and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar. Mix thoroughly. This marinade should be thick enough to cling to a pastry brush but not too pasty; adjust proportions if necessary.
Use the pastry brush to coat both sides of each pork steak. Stack the steaks in a shallow container. Pour any remaining marinade over the top of the steaks. Put the lid on the container and allow to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Slice the apples and remove the cores. Put the apple slices in a large bowl. Peel the onion. Slice it and separate the slices into sections. Mix together the pieces of apple and onion.
Remove the pork steaks from the refrigerator. Put one pork steak in the bottom of the crock pot. Put a double-handful of apple and onion slices over the pork steak. Continue layering until you run out of ingredients. Pour the can of chicken broth into the bottom of the crock pot. Fill the same can with apple cider and pour that in too. Sprinkle a pinch of Hawaiian red salt over the contents of the crock pot. Grind a bit of Muntok white pepper over everything.
Turn crock pot on “Low,” cover, and cook for four or more hours. After the apple and onion slices start to soften and release their juices, use a spoon to stir them around some and scoop the broth over the pork steaks. The dish is done when the apple and onion slices are soft, and the pork steaks come apart easily.
Notes:
Pork steak is a cheap cut of pork. It benefits from long, slow cooking. The marinade helps make it tender and the broth keeps it moist. My package had three steaks in it, so I put one on the bottom of the crock pot, then a layer of apple/onion, one steak in the middle, the rest of the apple/onion, and the last steak on top.
Granny Smith is a popular type of cooking apple. These apples have bright green skin and crisp white flesh. They are sour, but they hold their shape and flavor well even when cooked for a long time. Usually they are huge – up to softball size – but this time I could only find little ones. You could substitute some other variety of cooking apple. Use what you have.
Fancy types of salt and pepper add to the character of a dish. Muntok white pepper has a mellow, mild flavor and Madagascar green pepper has a fresh spicy flavor with fruity notes. Hawaiian red salt has iron-rich clay added to it, which gives a subtle yet rich earth-metallic note to meat. It is especially favored for use with pork.
Red wine vinegar has a dark fruity flavor. Apple cider vinegar would also work well in this recipe; I just didn’t have any.
In the end, this dish came out quite well, savory and tangy and a little sweet. The pork steaks are tender, though not quite as much as when they’re made with mango marinade: the apple-marinated steaks will cut with a fork along the grain, but to cut across the grain takes a table knife.
----------------------
Ginger Gold Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust, thawed
4 Ginger Gold apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger chips
5 tablespoons butter
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Peel the ginger root. Grate it (or mince it in a food processor) and measure 1 tablespoon. Extra ginger can be frozen for later use.
Slice the apples and remove the cores. Put the apple slices in a large glass bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the apple slices and toss to coat evenly. Add 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger and 1/3 cup white sugar over the apple slices. Toss to coat evenly.
In a medium-size bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup quick rolled oats, and 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger chips. Mix thoroughly. Slice 5 tablespoons of butter into pats and add them to the bowl. Use a butter cutter to combine dry ingredients with butter, until loose and crumbly.
Put the apple slices into the pie crust. Scrape the bowl to get all the sugar and spices onto the apples. Gently arrange the apple slices so they lie flat. Spoon the crumble topping over the apples, covering them completely.
Bake the pie at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Then take it out and check for doneness. Poke a fork into the center; the pie is done when the apples are tender but not mushy. Also check the edges of the crust; they should be golden brown. If it’s not done yet, return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes and check it again. Adding a pie shield during the later stage will help prevent burned crust.
Notes:
Yes, I cheated a bit and used a premade frozen pie crust. This would probably be better with a homemade crust. I was just too busy for that today.
Ginger Gold is an early-season dessert apple that ripens in late August to early September. These apples have yellow skin and crisp white flesh. They really do taste of ginger – a bright, high note of spice soaring above the overall apple flavor. Because they are dessert apples rather than real cooking apples, be careful not to overcook them or the flavor and texture will melt away.
Could you use some other type of apple in this recipe? Sure, but it wouldn’t have quite the same spritely taste. This is truly a seasonal treat, because Ginger Gold isn’t a “keeper” variety; it’s only available a few weeks out of the year. Savor it accordingly.
The filling and crumble topping are designed to have a nice flavor contrast. Notice the use of white sugar, lemon juice, and fresh ginger in the filling vs. brown sugar, crystallized ginger, and allspice in the topping. The powdered ginger helps unify the flavors.
If you can’t find crystallized ginger chips – Ginger People is an excellent brand – then you can substitute regular crystallized ginger chunks minced finely.
I wound up cooking my pie 20 minutes, then 10 minutes with a foil pie shield, then another 3 minutes with the shield off. Total time = 33 minutes.
The flavor turned out exactly as I hoped: bright and sweet and sprightly. The texture was almost perfect: apples tender but not mushy, and the pie held together well, but oozed juice into the bottom of the pan. Next time I’ll try adding a bit of unflavored gelatin or tapioca to thicken it just a smidge.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 01:02 am (UTC)I plan on giving the pork one a try...
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 04:25 am (UTC)I don't usually like pork, so I must try this to see if it helps!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 05:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 02:01 pm (UTC)mmmm pork AND apples.... mmmm
I need some guinea pigs around here. Everything I make gets eaten only by me.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 02:35 pm (UTC)Do you have friends you could invite over for supper? Maybe swap so you cook one meal and they cook one?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-15 03:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 12:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 01:59 pm (UTC)I was up early this morning and made a huge pot of chicken apple chili. Cook chicken pieces in olive oil with ground chili powder and cumin until done, remove from pot. Then cook 2 chopped gala apples and 1 chopped onion in same pot with more olive oil until soft, remove. Make a rue with butter and flour, add 2 cups chicken stock and 3/4 cup milk, whisk for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Por chicken, apples and onions back into pot and add 2 cans whilte beans, rinsed. Bring to simmer then add 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese. Stir until melted.
Serve with scallions, or sour cream or baked tortillas or all 3. Not as fancy as yours, but then, it only took 30 minutes from start to finish, not hours. A plus!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 02:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 02:58 pm (UTC)Hello Consent to all of you
Date: 2011-10-14 12:13 pm (UTC)http://soundcloud.com/groups/buy-tadacip Buy Tadacip, , http://grou.ps/mdfedorova/428605 Buy Propecia Online, http://soundcloud.com/groups/buy-doxycycline-1 Buy Doxycycline
Hi Consent to all of you
Date: 2012-02-03 02:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-08-30 07:20 am (UTC)(It makes the washing-up afterwards easier, too!)
It's funny to me to hear Granny Smiths described as a 'cooking' apple, since their indestructibly hard nature is precisely what makes them unsuitable as a cooking apple in this country, where the distinction is that cooking apples 'fluff' (like the classic Bramley) and eating apples fail to do so. (And if you think Granny Smiths are sour, you should try eating a raw Bramley apple... here, Granny Smith apples are what you give to children for their lunchboxes because of their tough skins.)
Thoughts
Date: 2025-08-30 08:33 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-08-30 01:15 pm (UTC)(I'm assuming the American ones are more like a French open tart?)
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-08-30 09:45 pm (UTC)So it's like ... an applesauce pie? Apple custard? Something else? I am increasingly curious.
>> (I'm assuming the American ones are more like a French open tart?) <<
The apples are usually sliced, sometimes chopped, and meant to retain that shape. The pie may be single crust with a crumble topping, as with my Ginger Gold Apple Pie; or it may be double crust with a solid or woven top.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-09-01 09:33 am (UTC)I've never had either 'applesauce' or 'apple custard' , so I can't say... but it's basically like the difference between a baking potato and a salad potato. One fluffs up when cooked, and the other doesn't. (And the flavour of a cooking apple is more intense, as well; cooking with eating apples produces a rather pallid result.) So the idea of having lumps in an apple pie feels to me like having lumps in your mashed potato :-)
Oh, that's interesting, because to me an apple crumble and an apple pie are totally different concepts (baked at different oven temperatures, for a start; apple crumble was apparently invented as a rationing recipe during WW2 because it requires both less fat and a less hot oven, thus saving coal).
An English apple pie always has a pastry topping (and always traditionally solid, often with a couple of pastry leaves on top for decoration, and slits to let the steam escape), and optionally has pastry on the bottom as well if you want it to come out of the dish -- in which case it would be baked in a shallow pie-plate rather than a deeper dish. But it might well just have a top crust, which you lift off in slices for serving before dishing out a portion of the filling for everyone from underneath -- just like a savoury pie, really. (See the infamous Woolton Pie for example!)
https://the1940sexperiment.com/2016/03/13/the-original-lord-woolton-pie-recipe-no-151/