Fried Pork with Apples
A Danish classic: pork belly dry-fried crisp in the pan, apple wedges caramelized in the pork fat with brown sugar, eaten on rye bread with a knife and fork.
The pork belly gets gentle heat from a cold pan as the fat renders out, before the apples are fried, steamed tender, and reduced to a glossy finish in the same pan. Serve immediately, so the crispy pork meets the soft, tart-sweet apples. The slow rendering of the pork fat determines the crispness.
Ingredients
The pork belly
- 700 g lightly salted pork belly, cut into slices about 1 cm thick, rind removed
The apples
- 800 g tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
To serve
- 8 slice rye bread
How to make it
- Pat the pork belly slices completely dry on both sides with paper towels. Dry pork browns, while wet pork steams in its own moisture.
- Place the pork belly slices in a single layer with space between them in a cold, dry pan — they need to be fried in two batches, or they'll steam instead of turning crispy. Turn the heat to medium and fry for 6-8 minutes, until the fat has rendered clear into the pan and the underside is golden.Chef's tip Starting in a cold pan lets the fat melt out before the meat seizes — you should hear a soft, low sizzle, not a loud crackle. Fat dropped into a hot pan tightens the slices and leaves the interior fat waxy.
- Flip the pork belly slices and fry for another 4-6 minutes, until crispy and golden brown on both sides. Transfer them to a platter and keep warm while the second batch is fried the same way in the remaining fat. ⏱ 15 min–20 min
- Pour off most of the rendered fat from the pan, leaving about 3 tablespoons for the apples.Chef's tip Too much fat left in the pan and the apples deep-fry, turning greasy instead of caramelizing. Save the rest in a jar — it's good cooking fat and keeps in the fridge.
- Add the apple wedges to the hot pork fat and fry for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, until the cut sides are golden and the wedges still hold their shape. Turn them gently once partway through.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar over the apples and cover the pan. Reduce to low heat and let them steam for 6-8 minutes in their own juices, until tender all the way through without falling apart. ⏱ 6 min–8 min · passiveChef's tip The sugar draws juice out of the apples, and the lid traps the steam, so they turn tender without any added liquid. Give the pan a gentle shake: if the wedges are still whole but yielding, they're ready — if they split lengthwise, they've gone too far.
- Remove the lid and let the juices reduce for 2-4 minutes over slightly higher heat, until syrupy and glossy, clinging to the apple wedges. Season with salt and pepper — a pinch of salt lifts the sweetness, so the apples meet the salty pork.Chef's tip With the lid off, the water evaporates and the juices turn to glossy syrup. The test: a spoon drawn through the pan leaves a trail that holds for a moment before the juices run back together — if it doesn't, there's still too much liquid.
- Set the platter of crispy pork belly and the pan of caramelized apples in the middle of the table along with the slices of rye bread. Each diner tops their own rye bread with a layer of warm apples and a slice of pork belly on top. Eat it with a knife and fork while the pork is still crackling.
