This dish didn’t disappoint: the flavors have been completely balanced and the mixture of spices put a delicate, contemporary twist on the traditional mixture of pork with apples. As a result of I noticed that I’d run out of maple syrup solely as soon as I’d already began cooking, I substituted date syrup, which labored rather well (and I think about honey would have been good, too).
The style of the apple chunks (as a result of I doubled the recipe, I used two—one Pink Topaz and one Braeburn) didn’t stand out, although I blame that primarily on the truth that I used to be utilizing out-of-season apples. After I make this once more—and I undoubtedly will—I’ll do it within the fall with a extra acidic apple that stands as much as the flavors of cider and pork, and in addition as a result of that is such a quintessential fall dish.
I might make a couple of different small adjustments: I’d add some parsley earlier than serving, each for shade (this turned out to be a really beige-brown dish) and for the herbaceous notice. I’d additionally add a pinch or two of salt and a few pepper (the lardons and mustard are salty, so it solely wants a bit bit of additional salt), and I’d (relying on what I’m serving on the aspect), lower the quantity of flour in half. Two tablespoons of flour to 2 cups of liquid makes for a reasonably thick sauce, and I want the style of a thinner, much less sure sauce, as a result of I really feel just like the flour can mute the flavors and make the sauce too stodgy. (By the way, the sauce within the image accompanying the recipe regarded a lot thinner than mine.)
I cooked it uncovered and the sauce didn’t over-reduce and the meat was superbly tender, although not falling aside, after 1 1/2 hours. It was a fairly quick dish—for a braise, anyway.
I used an natural French cider from “Coteaux Nantais” (the French cider is what you usually discover in German grocery shops) and it was excellent.
I served this with couscous, sautéed pink and yellow peppers, and a kohlrabi-carrot slaw, and it was a scrumptious mixture that I can’t wait to repeat as soon as summer time is over and the temperatures dip.
