Sauteed Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

This is a perfect marriage of foods.  You have the sweetness of the potato, the tartness of the apple and mustard, and the juicy goodness of pork chops.  I think I  might even throw in some crisped bacon...

Photo by Jody Horton

Serves 2
ingredients

• 1/2 cup/120 ml apple cider or juice, plus more if needed
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Salt
• 2 boneless, center-cut loin pork chops, about 3/4 in/2 cm thick
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium sweet potato, about 1/2 lb/225 g, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 Braeburn, Gala, or other sweet-tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard, smooth or whole-grain (see "it's that easy")
• 2 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

• preparation

1. Combine the cider, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt in a cup. Set aside.

2. Pat the pork chops dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the seasoned pork chops to the pan and cook until lightly browned on the first side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the pork chops to a plate. (They will not be cooked through at this point.)

4. Add the sweet potato, apple, shallot, cider mixture, and a grind or two of pepper to the hot pan. Bring it all to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low or low—the pan should bubble, but not too aggressively. Cook the potato mixture until a fork easily pierces the partially cooked potato but there is still some resistance, about 10 minutes.

5. Return the pork chops to the pan (along with any juices accumulated on the plate) and nestle them into the potatoes and apples. Cover and cook until the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

6. Transfer the pork chops, potatoes, and apples to two warmed plates. There should be some liquid remaining in the pan to serve as a base for the sauce. (If the potatoes have absorbed all of the liquid, add 2 to 3 tbsp cider to the pan and heat it briefly over medium heat.) Stir the mustard into the pan juices with a fork. Taste the sauce and add more pepper if it needs it.

7. Spoon the sauce over the meat and vegetables, sprinkle the parsley over the top, and serve hot.

Pork Chops with Apples, Onion and Bacon

Pork Chops with Apples, Onion and Bacon

Can you possibly think of anything better together than the above combination.  The flavors marry so well together.  Serve with some smashed potatoes and a vegetable of choice. 
Serves 4
4 thin cut pork chops, trimmed (my husband is a big eater, so I make 6, I eat 2, well, you get the rest...)2 Jonathan apples or any tart apples, peeled and cored, and sliced into not thin slices but thick enough to withstand some sauteing.  3 slices bacon, chopped
1 med. sweet onion, sliced thinly
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Get out your favorite cast iron skillet or a large sauté pan. Salt and pepper the chops.  Heat olive oil over high heat until shimmering.  Add chops and caramelize one side and then turn and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  I like my pork just a tad bit pink when removed because it will continue to cook a little more.  Tent or put in a warming drawer.  Wipe out the pan and heat again, this time over med. high heat.  Add the bacon, apples and onions.  Cook until the bacon is almost crisp, the onions opaque and the apples are easily pierced with a fork.  Salt and pepper to your liking.  Add chops, cover with the goodies, and you're done.