Another Yummy Combo
One of my favorite ways to make a meal memorable is to combine classic flavor combinations. There are lots of pairs of flavors that work well together, but one of the really creative ways to combine flavors is to take two pairs of flavors that have one flavor in common. To do this, you need to find one flavor that combines well with a lot of other things, and today I chose apples.
When you look for a combination of flavor combinations, you want to try to bridge the flavor “elements”. When we speak of flavor “elements”, we mean the very broad flavor types, which are Sweet, Sour, Salty, Spicy and Bitter. Good creative cooking should contain at least two of these elements, and preferably three. In fact, classic Chinese Cuisine requires that all five be present in all dishes or meals. However, we can be less strict with our own cooking while still preserving the basic idea.
With apples, you have a natural bridge between Sweet and Sour, but today I decided to go with a bridge to the Salty (or Savory) side, along with the sweet. On the sweet side, apples go very well with cinnamon; and on the savory side apples go very well with pork. So I decided to use those two combinations together in the same dish. First, I sliced 6 small apples, then tossed them with about a half cup of sugar (brown would be very nice, but I was out) and about a teaspoon of cinnamon. These went into the bottom of a baking dish. Then I breaded some pork chops that I had marinated in Coca Cola for about half an hour.
Marinating in cola is a really neat idea, especially when you are using sweet ingredients with the main ingredient. Colas are quite acidic, in addition to being sweet, so they help soften the tissue very quickly. Half an hour is a bit short, but I really don’t like the meat to become mushy, so I decided to err on the side of caution. The pork chops went on top of the apples, and into the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
So, what to serve with the pork chops and apples? I decided to go with rice, because that’s what I do when I can’t think of anything else, or I don’t want to work too hard. Besides, rice is very easy to flavor, so I thought I would try to build on my flavor combination themes. I used two cups of rice, 3 and a half cups of water. To the water I added a dash of apple cider vinegar for more apple taste, and a bit of sour to add yet another flavor element. I also added some cinnamon, and a few cloves. Cloves are very powerfully flavored, so you want to be careful when you add these. Also, it is a good idea to take them out when you are done cooking. Cloves go very well with pork, as well as cinnamon, so there was yet another combination that was going to play well.
When the pork and apples are done cooking, you will get a very nice sauce from the juice of the apples and the sugar. This can go on top of the pork chops, or else on the rice; either way, you definitely do not want to miss out on the extra flavor!
Yours in Good Taste,
Erik Christensen