Crisp Pork Slices With Caramelized Onions And Apples

From The Scandinavian Kitchen by Camilla Plum. Published by Kyle Books. Copyright 2015. Photography by Anne-Li Engstrom. Reprinted with permission.

• Servings: 4.

This recipe is from Camilla Plum's wonderful book, The Scandinavian Kitchen.  She included this classic Christmas dish in her chapter about fruit, although it's clearly a hearty savory dish that she writes is served with rye bread or new potatoes, or as part of a buffet.  The caramelized onions can be made separately and served with steaks and other meats.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 lb. fresh unsalted belly of pork
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 4 1/2 lbs. hand-eating apples
• 1 large sprig of fresh thyme, leaves stripped
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Black pepper to serve
• For the caramelized onions:
• 1 1/2 lbs. onions, sliced into rings
• 1/3 cup salted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• A sprig of fresh thyme
• 4 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

1. Cut the meat into slices roughly 1/2 inch thick, then arrange on a rack that fits over a large ovenproof dish you will need for the apples. Sprinkle over the salt, then let the meat rest for a couple of hours, turning the pork slices over once or twice.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
3. Quarter and core the apples, but leave the peel on.
4. Place the apples in the large ovenproof dish, in a double layer. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, bay leaf, and sugar, and some salt and pepper. Place the meat-filled rack on top and bake in the oven until the pork is crispy. The fat from the pork will drip deliciously onto the apples as the meat cooks.
5. Take out of the oven once during cooking in order to turn the apples over. If they are tender and beautifully roasted before the meat is ready, take the apples out altogether; you don’t want them to go mushy.
6. Serve the pork and apples together with the caramelized onions.
7. To make the caramelized onions, put all the ingredients for the onions into a heavy skillet and allow to caramelize slowly until the onions are browned and caramelized, and the vinegar evaporated.