Pork Steaks and Baked Apples
Serves 4.
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper Pinch of cayenne 1 teaspoons minced garlic 4 crisp apples, such as Cortland or Macoun, skin on, cored and cut into eighths 1/2 cup semisweet white wine, such as muscatel or off-dry Riesling 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil About 1 and 1/2 to 2 lb. (1-in. thick) pork steaks, cut from the boneless loin or shoulder Flour for dusting 1 cup fruity but sturdy red wine, such as Barolo or a ready-to-drink Cabernet.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine a large pinch of salt with a few grindings of pepper, the cayenne and garlic, and sprinkle apples with this mixture. Put apples in a baking dish, pour white wine around them and bake until apples are shriveled but moist, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold pork. Dust pork lightly with flour and sear it on both sides for a total of just a minute or so; it need not become brown. Add red wine and adjust heat so mixture boils energetically. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until it gains a beautiful deep color, is cooked through and wine reduces to a syrup; about 10 minutes. Season meat with salt and pepper.
Serve pork with red wine cooking liquid spooned over it, next to apples, with a little of the white wine they cooked in.
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