Apple-Baked Pork Chops

Well here we are in the first week of January.  Resolutions abound and I admire all of the chubby joggers and people eating up their veggies like troopers, working hard to meet their goals.  I hope they stick with it.  Some years I join in with the efforts.  Admittedly, I make and pursue my own throughout the year.  But this year, I’m not so much doing it by the calendar.  And for me, it’s all about moderation.  I’ll happily eat my fruits and veggies, but sometimes they taste even better with a pork chop!

These are one of my favorite fall/winter pork recipes.  Sweet, savory, but healthy too!  It was perfect with a generous serving of roasted root vegetables and salad.

Apple-Baked Pork Chops

Apple-Baked Pork Chops

Pork chops
Sliced apples
Cinnamon (about 1/4 tsp. per chop)
Brown sugar (about 1/2 tsp. per chop)
Fresh sage, minced (or you can use dried if you prefer)
Salt & pepper
Butter

Preheat oven to 375˚.  Place pork chops on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and some minced sage.

I don’t usually measure the spices, just sprinkle to your heart’s content.

Peel and slice apples and cover the surface of each chop with apples.  Top with a pinch of cinnamon and brown sugar and a small pat of butter.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until apples are tender and browned and chops are done in the middle.  Slice into one to check or use a meat thermometer – internal temp should be at least 145˚.

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Crunchy Vinegar Pork Chops

I know generally it’s a bad thing to feed an addiction.  And I am an addict.  I admit I have a terrible weakness for cookbooks.  But since I have no desire to quit, I’m happy when my friends and family feed my little habit with gifts and recommendations.  When a friend of mine recommended, Dinner: A Love Story, I just had to check it out.  Literally.  I checked it out.  From the library.  Call it a taste test drive.

After bookmarking at least a dozen recipes to try, this is the first one I settled on.  It was an easy choice.  Not only was it the first one that caught my eye (it’s early in the book) but I also had all of the ingredients to make it.  It was meant to be, right?

These were amazing.  The vinegar and lemon zest add a tangy twist and the panko gives it a beautiful crunch, while leaving the pork juicy and delicious.  Take it from me.  You need to make these.  And get this cookbook.  I’ve got two more recipes planned this week out of this baby and I can’t wait.

Crunchy Vinegar Pork Chops

Crunchy Vinegar Pork Chops
(adapted from Dinner: A Love Story, by Jenny Rosenstrach)

4-6 pork loin chops
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups panko
Zest from one lemon
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
Olive oil

Arrange pork chops in a single layer in a large baking dish and cover with the vinegar.  Let sit for one hour at room temperature.

In a small bowl combine the panko, lemon zest, thyme, oregano and a pinch of salt & pepper.  Set up your dredging station, one dish for the panko mixture you just mixed, one dish for the flour, and one dish for the beaten eggs.

Dredging station

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan.  Using a fork, dredge each chop first in the flour, then the egg, then in the panko, making sure to coat all sides.  Place the chops in the hot oil, working in batches if needed.  Cook until crispy, about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Remove from pan and eat hot!

Crunchy Vinegar Pork Chops

Apple-icious Pork Chops

I saw a post from my favorite fruit stand the other day, telling me the Honeycrisp apple season was just about over for the year.  How sad!  I immediately ran down and bought a bunch.  …And now I’m trying to eat them all before they go bad.

To remember them, I immortalized one in paint.  Because if you can’t eat them, you may as well paint them.

I always enjoy pork and fruit together.  Something about the blending of those flavors just makes me happy.  These pork chops are such a great quickie meal for weeknights but fancy enough you could serve them to company.

Apple-icious Pork Chops

4 pork chops (I usually use the boneless loin chops, but any will work)
Salt & pepper
1/4 tsp. sage
1 apple, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
2 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Rub pork chops with salt, pepper and sage on both sides.  Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan.  Pan-fry chops 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through (thinner chops may not need quite as long, thicker chops might need a little longer).  Remove from pan.  Add onion to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes.  Add apples and butter.  Saute one minute or so.  Add brown sugar and cinnamon.  Saute another minute, until mixture is well combined and apples are just barely tender.  Pour apple mixture over chops and serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.