So that the meat is tender I’m letting the meat simmer for 4 hours. I put ingredients like onion, ginger, mushrooms during that period. But potatoes I only put them near the end. I also sometimes add apples or pears for some sweet ingredients. Would it be best to put the apple at the same time as the potatoes or is ok to put them before?
I would say It depends a lot of the type of apple and the final texture you want. Something like a granny smith or a honey crisp will hold their texture better. Something like a red delicious or mcIntosh will break down quickly. If you want the apples to hold texture add them towards the end and preference the former, if you want them to totally break down the later will be better.
I don’t think them breaking down would be very good though as they will not create a smooth sauce that I at least associate with a Japanese curry.