4 ways to enjoy apple cider — without drinking it

Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Apple cider is perhaps the most quintessential of cold fall drinks, whether it comes in a plastic jug from your local apple farmer or has been fermented into the hard stuff.
It’s also wonderful when heated up on the stove and mulled with warm spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice and a hint of citrus. (A splash of rum or bourbon is optional.)
Yet, there is so much more you can do with the opaque (and unsweetened) seasonal beverage made with fresh apples than drinking it.
We get it: Nothing screams “fall” louder than a frosty glass of cider. We just want to remind you that it can be a good culinary pal, too.
Its tart, slightly tangy flavor can add a wonderful splash of spicy sweetness to any number of sweet and savory dishes, including stews and soups, meaty main dishes and all different kinds of baked goods — everything from cookies and cakes to doughnuts and sweet breads.
Boil it down with some warm spices and it can be used to add a zippy flavor to a moist and aromatic cake; add some salt and pepper and you’ve got the perfect brine to make tender and juicy pork chops.
Apple cider also adds depth to a pot of beef stew, and can lift a pan of roasted root vegetables to new and tangy heights.
Another selling point: While it’s usually pasteurized for sale, apple cider stays faithful to natural farm-to-table practices. To make it, apples are simply cored, chopped, mashed and crushed to extract the juice, and then strained to remove any solids. Because it’s unfiltered, it also contains polyphenols, antioxidants found in plants that are thought to have heath benefits.
Clear, commercially produced apple juice, conversely, is sometimes sweetened with corn syrup and also includes preservatives to prevent fermentation. Somehow, it just doesn’t stack up to the freshly pressed cider you’ll find at local farms.
Below, we dish up four recipes meant to help you enjoy fall’s cider in new — and flavorful — ways.
PG tested
Cubed stew beef combines with fall vegetables and apple cider to create a simple and slightly sweet meal even kids will love. Serve with crusty bread or homemade biscuits.
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups apple cider or juice
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4 -inch pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 3/4 -inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
Fresh thyme sprigs, optional
In a Dutch oven, brown beef on all sides in oil over medium-high heat; drain. Add cider, broth, vinegar, salt, thyme and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.
Add potatoes, carrots, celery and onions; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender.
Combine flour and water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. If desired, serve with fresh thyme.
— adapted from tasteofhome.com
PG tested
This pork chop recipe was inspired by Southern chef and cooking show host Nathalie Dupree. The thick-cut chops are brined in apple cider and salt overnight, then seared in a hot pan and baked in the oven until they’re just barely pink and still juicy.
The rich and buttery apple and onion topping is what makes them worthy of being designated a special occasion dish. It’s made in the same pan as the pork chops and gets a little apple cider vinegar at the end for an even more flavorful pan sauce.
I had only McIntosh apples in the fridge and they aren’t ideal for baking. So the end result was a bit on the mushy side, but still quite tasty. Any sweet onion will work; if you can’t find Vidalia onions, the cookbook suggests using Maui or Walla Walla.
For brine
5 cups apple cider, divided
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon pepper
For pork chops
4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
3/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, divided
3 Vidalia (sweet) onions, halved and sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large apples, cored and cut into wedges
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Prepare brine: Whisk 4 cups cider, salt and pepper in large bowl until salt is dissolved, about 1 minute. Arrange pork chops in single layer in 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Pour brine over pork chops. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Place chops on rimmed baking sheet lined with double layer of paper towels. Place another layer of paper towels on top and press firmly to blot excess liquid.
Let chops sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while towels absorb moisture. Discard towels and pat chops dry with clean paper towels.
Using kitchen shears, snip the layer of fat surrounding each chop in 2 places, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle sugar evenly on one side of each chop.
Heat oil in 12-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chops in single layer, sugar side down and cook until their bottoms are well browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer chops to large plate, browned side up. Wipe skillet clean.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and well browned, 15 minutes.
Push onions to one side of skillet. Add apples to the other side and cook, flipping occasionally, until well browned, about 8 minutes, stirring onions occasionally.
Stir apples into onion mixture until evenly combined. Off heat, add remaining 1 cup cider.
Nestle pork chops into onion mixture, browned side up. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until thickest part of each chop registers 130-135 degrees, about 9 minutes. Transfer chops to carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Stir sage into onion mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cook until liquid is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Off heat, stir in vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons butter into onion mixture until butter is melted and fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide onion mixture evenly among serving plates and top with pork chops. Serve,
Serves 4.
— “When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen ($40)
PG tested
Root vegetables are a home cook’s best friend in fall because they’re so widely available. An array of carrots, parsnips and turnips are caramelized in butter and then deglazed in hard cider. A final addition of chopped apple and fresh tarragon add notes of licorice.
I was lucky to have a few bottles of homemade hard cider on hand that my husband made earlier this year. You also can use an equal amount of nonalcoholic sparkling or regular cider; just reduce the sugar by half.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
12 ounces parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
3 shallots, peeled and halved
2 1/2 cups hard cider
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, parsnips, turnips and shallots and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add cider, sugar, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally, 7-10 minutes,
Uncover, increase heat to medium and cook until vegetables are fully tender, stirring occasionally, about 13 minutes. Stir in apple and continue to cook until cider is syrupy and apple is just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in tarragon and vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish, pour any remaining glaze over vegetables and serve.
Serves 8.
— “The Complete Autumn & Winter Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen (2021)
PG tested
This incredibly tender and moist apple cider cake uses a lot of apple cider — 4 cups that are reduced by half on the stove with warming spices — but the recipe is fairly similar simple. We suggest making it on the weekend so you can enjoy it not just as dessert but also in the morning with a leisurely cup of coffee.
I made it twice: once in a circular pan and again in a square pan. Both took a little longer to cook than the recipe said.
4 cups fresh apple cider
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup powdered sugar
Prepare spiced cider reduction: In a large saucepan, heat apple cider with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger over medium-high heat, simmering until it reduces to 2 cups, around 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Bask in the otherworldly aroma.
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Make the batter: Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and coat the sides with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in oil, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and 1 3/4 cups of the reduced cider (reserving the remaining 1/4 cup for the glaze). Whisk to combine until no lumps remain. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs. (Both my cakes took a full 50 minutes before the center was done.)
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then cut around it with a knife to ensure it is loosened and flip it onto a plate.
Finish the cake: Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons of the remaining spiced apple cider reduction, whisking until a thick glaze forms.
Add some or all of the remaining 1 tablespoon reduction if needed to get your desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the center of the cake and use a spatula to gently trickle it down the sides.
Go ahead, eat the cake while it’s still warm.
— smittenkitchen.com
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