Cooking with Apples

Because I'm on such a seasonal cooking kick, last night I made Pork Chops with Apples and Onions. I got the recipe from an issue of Martha Stewart Living, but I'm not sure which one.

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

- 6 bone-in pork chops (loin or shoulder), cut 3/4 inches thick*
- coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2-3 apples, cored and sliced**
- 1 cup beer, white wine, cider, or chicken broth

1. Trim chops of excess fat. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a 14-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat (if you have a smaller skillet work in batches), and swirl in olive oil. Lay pork chops in skillet and do not touch to ensure a nice sear. Turn and brown on the second side for a total of ten minutes. Transfer to a warm plate.***

2. Swirl butter into pan. Add onion and apples and saute until onions begin to caramelize and apples are slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Add beer or other liquid and replace chops in pan.

3. Cook until pork is tender, 15 more minutes depending on thickness of chops***, turning once, and covering with onion/apple mixture. If apple mixture needs to thicken further, remove chops to warm plate and turn heat to high a few minutes to reduce.

4. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes with a spoonful of apple/onion mixture.

* I have a weird issue with bone-in meat, so I normally buy boneless when available. I also prefer thinner cuts of meat, so my chops were much thinner.
** I used Granny Smith apples which tasted great, but didn't give any color. A red apple like a Macintosh might look prettier.
*** Because I used a much thinner, boneless cut of meat, I adjusted my cooking time accordingly. Nothing is worse than an over-cooked piece of pork.

Tonight I made Pumpkin Coffee Cheesecake. Recipe and photos to come this week! Bon Appetite!

Oh, and Happy Halloween! :)