Why Do Apples And Pork Go So Well Together?

If you order a pork chop or roast pork in a restaurant, it's not unusual for such a dish to come with a side of applesauce or roasted apples. Why is this, anyway? Chicken usually doesn't come with a side of fruit, nor does beef, and the only kind of fruit likely to accompany your fish is a slice of lemon. Just like lemon and fish, though, the pork and apple pairing has two reasons behind it: First and foremost, it simply tastes good. Pork is rich and fatty, while apples are sweet and tangy, and these flavors work to balance each other out.

The second reason, however, is because of well-established tradition. Unlike the fish and lemon connection, which is allegedly rooted in lemon's supposed ability to assist with dissolving accidentally-swallowed fish bones, the pork and apple association isn't a medicinal one, but seems instead to have stemmed from proximity. Apples are harvested in autumn, which was once the season when farms would slaughter their pigs. Because there tended to be a surplus of apples on hand when fresh pork was available, combining the two ingredients was a no-brainer. Geese were another animal that typically met their end in the fall, and in Europe, where people still eat roast goose for the holidays, this bird also tends to be accompanied by apples.

One recipe that dates back to 18^th-century England calls for roast hog's head with applesauce, but we'll admit to being less dedicated to the whole nose-to-tail concept. Instead, we prefer our pork plastic-wrapped and helpfully labeled as chops, ribs, loin, et cetera. We'll still gladly take our chops with a side of applesauce, however, and our tenderloin stuffed or baked with apples. Canned fruit will also work — with a can of Aldi's canned fried apples with cinnamon, we love to recreate our favorite Cracker Barrel breakfasts like the sadly discontinued Sunrise Sampler that paired the fruit with eggs, grits, hash browns, biscuits, and not one but three different pork products: bacon, ham, and sausage.

We even have a few pork and apple recipes of our own to share. Our city chicken (which is really made with pork nuggets) comes with a tasty dipping sauce made from yogurt and apple butter (a condiment that only takes an hour and a half to make). If you have large fresh apples on hand, you can turn these into your new fall favorite: savory baked apples stuffed with sausage and rice.