Sausage Apple Pie

I saw this recipe in a related form over at Simply Recipes (see recipe link below). That version has a lot more cheese (3 cups more!) and a more "set" consistency. We were looking for a recipe to use up the last of a bag of Granny Smiths, then we used them up making Apple Crisp.

But I had the idea in my mind. I searched for something that was savory, but not "breakfast-y". I made this one up based on what we had - but there are some great versions out there.

• Amy's Apple Sausage Pie (many variants, but "apple pie filling"? Nope.)
• Apple and Sausage Pie from Simply Recipes (cheese-crazy)
• Sausage and Apple Pie in a Cheddar Cheese Crust from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 1 lb of sausage (pork, chicken, or turkey; ground or in casing)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3-5 apples (Granny Smith or Empire), sliced well
• 3/4 cup of good applesauce (if storebought, add cinnamon and nutmeg)
• 1/4 cup of cheese (feta, extra sharp cheddar, nothing mild)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Slice or remove the sausage from the casing and saute till browned. Remove the sausage from the pan.
3. Reserve the juices and saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove and keep on reserving the juices!
4. Next comes the apple - if you use 3 apples, bulk it out with some potatoes (I had a leftover baked potato, I sliced it thin).
5. I mixed the sausage, onion/garlic, applesauce and apple/potato together. Add in cheese at this point. Taste it, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Drape the pie crust over a 9-inch pie pan.
7. Place the filling inside the crust and "tamp down".
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 F.

Serves 6.

Marinated Pork Shoulder

We had to make room in the freezer for the 1/4 cow parts and found a pork shoulder from one of our own pigs. Shoulders here are also called "picnic hams" and being from the front end of the pig, they are tougher and need longer, slower cooking.

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds pork shoulder
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed, finely ground
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
• 2 tablespoon thyme leaves, lightly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, lightly chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium all-purpose apples (I used Gala)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine (or good dark beer)

Steps:

1. Trim all but ¼-inch of fat from pork shoulder. Put the pork on a sheet pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the fennel , cracked peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, garlic, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir until the mixture is uniform.
3. Rub the mixture evenly over the pork shoulder top and bottom.
4. Wrap the pork shoulder tightly in plastic wrap to hold the marinade against the skin and marinate overnight.
5. Next day, preheat the oven to 450°.
6. While the over is heating; peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 equal wedges. Place the wedges in a medium bowl.
7. Peel and trim the onion. Cut in half and cut each half into thin wedges. Mix with the apples.
8. Toss the apples and onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
9. Place in the bottom of a Dutch oven with a cover and put the marinated pork shoulder on top. (You may also use a regular roasting pan with aluminum foil to cover.)
10. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes.
11. Turn the oven heat down to 325° and add the wine (or beer).
12. Cover the roasting pan and slow roast for 2½ to 3 hours until the pork shoulder is very tender and pulls apart easily when probed with a fork.
13. Transfer the pork shoulder to a serving plate.
14. If the pan juices are very thick, add enough water to loosen, then mash and strain. If more liquid is desired, add a little water. The apples will be so soft that they will break down.
15. Check the seasoning and correct to taste. Serve over potatoes or noodles as a gravy.

Serves 4-6 with leftovers.

Pork Loin with Apples and Mustard-y Cream Sauce

Carol found this recipe in the wonderful "The Best of Gourmet - 20th Anniversary Edition" - so many great party ideas packed in one book, we actually bought it after we kept it out of the library for too long.

This is a wonderful autumn and winter recipe - not for the coldest of days, but perfect for those warming snaps when the cold breaks and the snow melts. The sauce is wonderful as a "gravy" over rice pilaf with peas (our traditional side dish).

Ingredients

• 1 (4-lb) boneless pork loin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples (3/4 lb total)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed, dried pitted prunes, quartered
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Steps

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Halve pork loin crosswise, then pat dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper(total).
3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, 1 piece at a time, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes per piece.
4. Transfer to a roasting pan as they brown (do not clean skillet) and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 150°F, 40 to 50 minutes.
5. While pork roasts, peel, quarter, and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges.
6. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add apples, prunes, broth, and water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Stir in cream and mustard and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, partially covered.
9. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
10. Add wine to roasting pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Stir pan juices into cream sauce along with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and heat sauce over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.
12. Cut each half of the tenderloin crosswise into 4 slices.
13. Serve pork with sauce - we like to have pilaf and peas on the side, great all mixed together.

Makes 8 servings

Grilled Pork Chops - Pura Vida Style

OK, I don't know for sure if Costa Ricans eat pork chops this way, much less at all, but let's just say that these are at least inspired by Central American cuisine. I spent a summer in Costa Rica during college and we ate very simply (beans and rice, 2x a day) and never saw a bit of pork except for the piggies that ate the whey behind the Monteverde lecheria ("cheese makers").

Hints here that it could be from CR - cilantro!, lime juice, and lots of black beans and rice on the side. Could that be from almost any Central American country... well, yeah. But I really like CR, "pura vida" is the national slogan. C'mon!

Caveats:

1. I only got to marinate this for 1 hour in the fridge, 2 hours would be best.
2. Grilling the chops really makes them shine, but broiling works too.
3. Side dishes of "black beans and rice" and a nice salad round it out.

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops (ours were our own pastured, 1 inch thick lovelies)
• 1/3 cup of good olive oil
• 1/3 cup of lime juice
• 1/4 cup of minced cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (not traditional, but our cayenne is too hot for the girls)
  
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Steps

1. Combine the oil, juice, cilantro, garlic, pepper, and salt in a tupperware container.
2. Whisk the marinade together well.
3. Add in the chops and place in the fridge. Set the timer for 2 hrs.
4. Fire up the grill and grill the chops for 3-5 minutes per side. Sadly throw away the delicious smelling marinade - can't eat it nor grill with it.
5. Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.