For His Master's Veneration: Food for the Fossegrimen

When Master was leaving for a trip to Oslo, He charged slave with another challenge:
How about researching a Norwegian dish and doing it with an American twist? Do your easy twist on it and present that!

My research turned up “Svinekoteletter”: Pork chops cooked with apple cider & onions. Well here in the Midwest the most popular meat to grill on the Forth of July happens to be pork steaks. Now that the holiday is over, this cut of meat is on sale! This meat tends to be tough.

Cooking it slowly on a low temperature allows the collagen in the tissues to melt away, leaving the pork tender and juicy.

Cooking pork steaks in a mixture of apples, onion, apple sauce and Jack Daniels creates a succulent dish with a bold flavor profile.

Ingredients:

two 1 lbs. pork steaks

1½ cups apple juice (save back 1 cup of the juice for later)

¾ cup Jack Daniels Bourbon divided

1/3 c. of kosher salt

1/3 c. real maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter
2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 large onion, sliced

Night before:

Mix 1/3 c. of kosher salt in a mug with ½ c of the apple juice. Heat in microwave for about 1½ to 2 minutes. This is just so the salt will dissolve into the juice. Stir well then pour into a large bowl. Add 1 cups more of the juice along with a ½ cup of Jack Daniels and the maple syrup. Mix this up until it is well blended. Make sure it is not hot for the next step.

Brining is the technique of building up the taste, texture and moisture level of pork through soaking in salted liquid. This does NOT make it taste salty! It is easy, and you’ve probably already got everything you need on hand.

Pour the brine over the meat, place a heavy plate or bowl atop the meat to keep it submerged, and place in the refrigerator or a cooler below 40°F.

Day of:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Slice up the onion.

Peel, core and slice the apples.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and lay down 1 cup of applesauce in the bottom, stir in ½ cup of Jack Daniels.

Brown onion over medium heat in 2 tbs oil, About 4 – 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and arrange on the applesauce bed.

Add pork steaks to the still hot skillet and brown for 3 minutes per side. You want a light golden touch, this is NOT cooking them. If you were to fry these pork steaks, they would be tough.

Arrange the browned pork steaks on that bed. Cover with apple slices, pour any left over Jack Daniels on top and seal with foil.

Bake for 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and flakes apart with a fork.

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Where did slave get this name?

Research into Norwegian mythology turned up fascinating creatures called “Fossegrimen”. (Foss a gr-eye men)

The Fossegrimen are friendly but moody spirits that live in waterfalls. He is so skillful at playing the violin that he has the power to enchant people with it. His youthful good looks and his playing are irresistible. It can make either a woman or a man fall madly in love with them. But the relationship never lasts because he becomes gloomy and depressed away from his beloved waterfall.
It is said if you treat them with respect and offer a good piece of meat, the Fossegrimen will teach you how to play so beautifully that the music will make the trees dance.
But if you try to trick him with a less than good piece of meat, he will teach you how to tune the violin, then disappear leaving you without the knowledge to ever make the enchanting music.
Slave found this bit of folklore very beautiful. So it offers here a truly great meat dish that would surly honor any Fossegriman. Even if you don't happen upon one, maybe your Master will teach you some beautiful music – if you know what slave means. (wink)

Just imagine a softly flowing waterfall in the background:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YpXLdCm8LQ