Pork and Apple Pie With Cheddar Sage Crust

My editor, Maria Guarnaschelli, suggested this recipe, based on her memory of a savory pie served at a London pub. One half of the pie was filled with pork and the other with apples. As I later learned, that dish has its roots in an eighteenth-century workingman's lunch called the Bedfordshire Clanger—a hand-held pie filled with meat on one end and jam on the other. It was a compact way to serve lunch and dessert in one package.

In adapting this idea to my own taste, I decided to layer apples on top of a spiced ground pork filling, rather than setting the two ingredients side by side. The flavors are fantastic together, and this dish has been the hit of many parties. It makes an especially good buffet option, as it can be served warm or at room temperature.

Photo by Squire Fox. Styling by Michael Pederson and Tracy Keshani

Apple Notes: As with all pie recipes, you want firm fruit here. Some good examples: Granny Smith, Arkansas Black, and Northern Spy for tart apples; and Golden Delicious, Jazz, or Pink Lady for sweet ones.

Equipment: 10- to 12-inch skillet; food processor; 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, preferably glass; parchment paper or wax paper

Total time: 2 hours

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

For the crust

• 2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons dried sage, finely crumbled

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks; 255 g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 3 ounces (85 g) sharp Cheddar cheese, finely grated

• 6 to 8 tablespoons (90 to 120 ml) ice water

• 1 egg blended with 1 tablespoon water

• Fresh sage leaves for garnish (optional)

For the filling

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) firm-sweet apples (see Apple Notes), unpeeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) firm-tart apples, unpeeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 small onion, very finely chopped

• 2 pounds (900 g) ground pork (preferably 15 to 17% fat)

• 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 3 1/2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

Photo by Squire Fox. Styling by Michael Pederson and Tracy Keshani

1. First make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sage, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour mixture and use your fingers to work them in (you want to rub your thumb against your fingertips, smearing the butter as you do so). Do this until the mixture looks like cornmeal with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Stir in the cheese with a fork until evenly distributed. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water over the mixture and stir with a fork until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add an additional tablespoon or two of ice water (you shouldn't need much more). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times. Gather the dough into a ball, then divide into two portions, making one slightly bigger than the other. Press each portion down into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the filling: In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the apples without any oil, stirring gently, until they just begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Add oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the onion, pork, brown sugar, salt, and spices. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let the meat mixture cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor. Add the breadcrumbs and pulse five times until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand. Set aside.

3. Prepare the crust: Unwrap the larger disk of dough and put it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top piece of parchment and transfer the dough to a pie plate, peeled side down. Peel off the remaining parchment and press the crust into the sides of the pie plate, draping any excess over the edge. Unwrap the smaller disk of dough and put it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to an 11-inch circle. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a rack to the second-to-bottom position. Fill the pie: Pour the meat mixture into the bottom crust and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the cooked apple slices over the meat, pressing down to make the whole construction as smooth and neat as possible. Peel the top sheet of parchment off the top crust. Transfer, peeled side down, to the pie, then peel off the remaining parchment. Using a sharp knife, make two 3-inch slashes in the crust to allow steam to escape. Fold the edges of the bottom crust up over the top crust and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the crust with the egg wash and decorate with sage leaves, if desired. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and bake until the crust is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool 25 minutes before serving.

Blue Ribbon Deep Dish Apple Pie

When it comes to apple pie, the more fruit the merrier. Except the more apples you pile into the dish, the more likely you are to end up with a big gap between the crust, which sets early in the baking, and the filling, which softens and shrinks by the time the pie is done. The answer, in a technique I adapted from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, is to pre-cook the apples just a bit to “set” their shape. The result is a pie that’s good enough for a bake-off: tall, beautifully domed, and filled to the very top with juicy apples.

Photo by Squire Fox. Styling by Michael Pederson and Tracy Keshani

Apple Notes: Any combination of firm-tart and firm-sweet apples is fine. But I particularly like Northern Spy for tartness, and Jonagold for sweetness.

Make-ahead tip: You can prepare the crust through step 1 and refrigerate for up to five days. You can also freeze the dough for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Equipment: 5- to 6-quart Dutch Oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot; parchment paper; 9-inch deep-dish pie plate (preferably glass); baking sheet

Total time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

For the crust

• 2½ cups (360 g) all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 18 tablespoons (2¼ sticks; 255 g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes

• 6 to 8 tablespoons (90 to 120 ml) ice water

• Milk for brushing over crust

For the filling

• 2½ pounds (1.13 kg, or about 5 large) firm-tart apples (see Apple Notes), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

• 2½ pounds (1.13 kg, or about 5 large) firm-sweet apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

• ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch

1• First, make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and salt until well combined (for instructions on making crust in a food processor, see page 67). Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour mixture and use your fingers to work them in (you want to rub your thumb against your fingertips, smearing the butter as you do). Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water on top and stir with a fork until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more of ice water. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times, or just enough to make a cohesive dough—do not overmix! Gather the dough into a ball, then divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2• Preheat the oven to 425ºF and set a rack to the lowest position. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, stir the apples with the sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Cook, stirring gently, until the apples just begin to turn tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if apples begin to sizzle vigorously.

3• Remove the apples from the heat, stir in the cornstarch, and spread the apples out on a large baking sheet. Put in the freezer to cool to room temperature, 12 to 15 minutes.

4• Meanwhile, unwrap the larger disk of dough and put it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top piece of parchment and transfer the dough to a pie plate, peeled side down. Peel off the remaining parchment and press the crust into the plate, draping any excess over the sides. Unwrap the smaller disk of dough and put it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to an 11-inch circle. Set aside.

5• Remove the apples from the freezer, and use a spatula to transfer them, with any juices, into the pie plate. Peel the parchment off the top crust. Transfer, peeled side down, to the pie, then peel off the remaining parchment and, using a sharp knife, make three slashes in the crust to allow steam to escape. Fold the bottom crust up over the top crust and crimp to seal. If you don’t have a favorite decorative crimping technique, you can always simply pinch the crust between your thumb and forefinger at regular intervals around the crust, but I like to make a scalloped edge by holding my right thumb and forefinger in a “U” shape, then poking the crust between them using my left forefinger. (For the photo of this dish on page 192, food stylist Michael Pederson used the handle of his offset spatula to make diagonal

indentations around the edge.) Brush the crust all over with milk and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

6• Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake on the lowest rack for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and bake until the pie is golden brown, another 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before serving.

Quick Bread-and-Butter Apple Pickles

This relish is actually a bit different from the bread-and-butter pickles you may know from childhood. It’s also much simpler. It does have a similar flavor profile, though: sweet and bright, with warm spices.

It’s a quick pickle in every sense, just a thirty-minute bath in the vinegar before it’s ready to serve, and I simply keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, rather than canning it. It never lasts long enough to put up, anyway. Serve as a side salad, or on sandwiches and burgers, or chop up and mix into potato salad.

Photo by Squire Fox. Food styling by Michael Pederson and Tracy Keshani.

Apple Notes: Red-skinned apples look prettiest here, I often use Jazz, Baldwin, and Melrose.

Equipment: Mandoline

Total Time: 25 minutes Yield: about 4 cups

• 1 large seedless (English) cucumber (about 14 ounces or 400 g), unpeeled

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 2 large firm-sweet apples (about 1 pound total), unpeeled and halved lengthwise

• 2 medium shallots

• 1 cup (240 ml) rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) honey

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 sprig fresh tarragon, cut into 4 pieces

First, prep your cucumbers: Cut off the ends and discard, then slice on a mandoline. Put in a colander and toss with the salt. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the apples: Trim the seeds and core from each apple half, then halve

lengthwise (the apple will now be in four pieces). Thinly slice each quarter on the mandoline. Slice the shallots on the mandoline as well, then put in a medium bowl with the apples. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, honey, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the cinnamon stick and tarragon, and pour the mixture over the apples and shallots. Rinse the cucumbers well and lightly blot dry (still in the colander) with paper towels. Add the cucumber slices to the bowl with the apples and stir well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.