Sweet Onion and Apple Relish

This was the side dish that was hiding in the background of that last photo of the spare ribs in yesterday’s post.  By using a lot of the same ingredients as the rib brine, we end up with the perfect companion to those and many other meals.

Gather Up:

• 1 medium sweet onion (Walla Walla, Vidalia, etc), sliced thin
• 2 Fuji apples, cored and cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves (whole)
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Start out with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent and soft.  Next, add in the honey and stir to thoroughly coat the onion and cook about 2 minutes more.  Pour in the vinegar and cider and add in the bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves.  Stir well and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Add in the apple pieces and sprinkle the allspice over top.  Stir everything well, then cook until the apples are tender and soft – about 15 minutes.  Remove the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and cloves (make sure you get all four of them) to avoid any “surprises” when eating (cloves are good, but whole cloves can downright hurt), then set aside until it is time to eat.

You can serve this either warm or at room temperature (it’s equally good both ways).  It also keeps well for several days in the refrigerator – though you may want to double the batch if you plan on having much left over!  Serve it along side your favorite pork recipes (including those ribs), or simply make it for a non-traditional dessert of sorts.