This recipe, which hearkens back to the days when savory and sweet flavor combinations were more common in Italy, is drawn from Le Carni, a compendium assembled by the editors of La Cucina Italiana. It will take about an hour to prepare. To serve 4 you'll need:

• 1 pound (450 g) boned pork loin, cut into 16 thin slices
• 2 medium-sized Golden apples
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Powdered cinnamon and cloves
• Salt & pepper to taste

Begin by gently pounding the meat, taking care not to break through the slices. Put them on two platters, dust them lightly with the cinnamon and cloves, sprinkle them with olive oil, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them sit for a half hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime peel, quarter, and core the apples, then divide each quarter in two so as to have 16 slices. Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the apple slices for about 7-8 minutes, turning them once, then remove them to a plate (reserve the drippings). Remove the meat from the refrigerator and roll the slices up around the pieces of apple, sticking them with toothpicks to keep them closed. Combine the drippings from the marinade with the butter from the skillet.

Cook the involtini on a hot grill or broil them, figuring five minutes per side, and basting them with the oil-and-butter mixture. Serve at once, on a heated platter.

The wine? White; I might go with a Fiano here.

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