Pork Chops With Apple Gravy

I have been contemplating this dinner for a while and now that the fresh and crisp fall apples are here, it's the perfect day for this dinner. We still have some apples left from our trip to the orchard (Empires) and I thought they would be perfect for this dish. The challenge of this meal is to make it somewhat sweet but add in elements of savory as well to balance it out.

 Remember, when are choosing meat such as pork you need to look for pieces that have that white marbling throughout. That's an indication that you will have a more tender cut of meat. If you are trying to cut down on fat intake you can trim the fat off the sides before or after cooking. I leave the fat on to help keep the chop from drying out. When the fat cooks down you can remove the fat from the pan which I recommend in this dish.

• 4 bone in Pork Chops - preferably center cut
• 2 apples, peeled and cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 cup pearl onions - use frozen and measure out 1 liquid cup
• flour - for dredging
• 2 tbsp. butter
• olive oil
• ground coriander seed to taste
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon or more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat up a saute pan over medium heat, add in a drizzle of oil and 1 tbsp. butter. After the butter has melted, add the frozen pearl onions to the pan. Cook and caramelize the onions to light golden brown.
2. Next, add in the sliced apples and cinnamon. Stir. To the pan add in a splash of apple juice, cover and cook until the apples have softened along with the onions. Approximately 8 minutes.
3. When the onions and apples are done, remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
4. Sprinkle each pork chop with salt, pepper and coriander on both sides. With a sharp knife make a small cut at the edge of the chop about 1/4 inch long. This prevents the chop from raising in the center and to stay flat while searing. Dredge the pork chops in some flour - shake off excess flour.
5. In a the same saute pan you used for the apples and onions and over medium high heat, melt the butter. When the butter begins to really heat up and bubble, drizzle a little bit of olive oil in to prevent the butter from burning. Add in the pork chops and sear each side to a deep golden brown. Remove the chops to a plate.
6. Pour the accumulated fat off the pan. Add the remaining apple juice and stir to get up all the good bits.
7. Place the chops along with the onion/apple mix to the pan.
8. Add just enough chicken broth and apple juice to just about cover the chops. Cover and cook for at least 1 1/4 hours hour over a simmering heat. You want the chops to braise until nice and tender. Adjust the cooking time to achieve that depending on the thickness of the chops.

Plate the chops along with your other components and call the family to the table - it's chow time!

The recipe for the squash will be a separate post.