Air Fryer Æbleflæsk (Danish Apples and Bacon)

June 8, 2019

Air Fryer Æbleflæsk (Danish Apples and Bacon)

Æbleflæsk is a Danish classic that belongs to the julefrokost (Christmas lunch) and the cold table. The dish was once in the running to be named the national dish; the title went to fried pork belly with parsley sauce, but æbleflæsk has held its place on the Christmas table.

Two things carry the dish: crisply fried streaky pork and a soft apple-and-onion compote. Both are made in the air fryer: first the pork is fried golden and crisp without spattering fat on the stove, and afterwards the apple-and-onion compote is cooked tender in the same basket in the rendered fat.

The compote is cooked tender from tart apples, red onion and thyme. Thyme is the classic seasoning, not cinnamon, and a little sugar and a splash of cider vinegar balance it, so the fresh acidity meets the rich pork. Serve with rye bread and butter.

Ingredients

Serves 4

The pork

500-600 g streaky pork (frying pork) in slices, about 1 cm thick (about 8 slices)
1-2 tsp coarse salt
freshly ground pepper

The apple-and-onion compote

500 g tart eating apples (e.g. Cox Orange or Belle de Boskoop), in wedges
1 red onion (about 100-150 g), in thin strips
1 tbsp butter (or a little rendered pork fat)
1 tbsp sugar
1-2 tsp thyme leaves, fresh or dried
1 tbsp cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
salt
freshly ground pepper

To serve

rye bread
butter

Directions

The pork

Pat the pork slices dry with paper towel, and rub salt and a little pepper into both sides.

Lay the slices in a single layer in the air-fryer basket with air between them. If the basket is full, fry in several batches. Preheating is not necessary.

Fry at 365-390°F (185-200°C) for 18-20 minutes, and turn the slices after about 10 minutes, until the pork is golden and crisp. Keep an eye on it for the last few minutes, as the time varies with slice thickness and machine. The fat drips off into the bottom.

Take out the pork and keep it warm. Keep one tablespoon of the rendered fat in the bottom of the basket, and pour off the rest.

The apple-and-onion compote

Toss the apple wedges and red onion with the sugar, thyme and the tablespoon of rendered pork fat left in the basket (or use a tablespoon of butter).

Spread them in the air-fryer basket, and fry at 365°F (185°C) for 8-12 minutes, until the apples are tender but still hold their shape. Stir gently once along the way, so they don’t turn to mush.

Season to taste with salt, pepper and a splash of cider vinegar, so the compote gets fresh acidity against the rich pork.

To serve

Arrange the crisp pork with the warm apple-and-onion compote, and serve with rye bread and butter.

Notes

The keys to crispness are to pat the pork dry, salt both sides and lay the slices with air between them, so the heat circulates. If you want it extra crisp, give the slices a couple of minutes more at 390°F (200°C) at the end.

Choose tart apples like Cox Orange, Belle de Boskoop or Ingrid Marie. They hold their shape and give freshness, where sweet, mealy apples collapse completely.

Thyme, not cinnamon: cinnamon makes the dish sweet and dessert-like, while the classic æbleflæsk is seasoned with thyme and balanced with a little sugar and acidity.

If you want to save a step and make it all in one batch, you can toss the apple wedges, red onion, thyme, salt and pepper together in the bottom of the basket and lay the salted pork slices on top. Fry at 365°F (185°C) for about 20 minutes, and turn the pork after 10 minutes. The fat drips down into the apples, and everything finishes at the same time, though you have less control over how tender the apples get.