Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce

As the weather begins to turn cold, I begin to think of ways to use the Fall harvest in my kitchen. Since I grew up in Virginia, that means lots of apples.

Like many on the East Coast, my family looked forward to the “turning of the leaves.” The local papers kept track of it and mapped the march of colors as they moved south. My dad would figure out which weekend would be best for viewing the colors, and we’d head west toward the Shenandoah Mountains for a day of fun. We’d ride the two-lane highways, taking in the vibrant yellows, oranges and reds, marveling at the beauty.

A big part of the day was to stop at various road-side stands where locals sold their produce. Sure there were pmpkins, and veggies and the like. But the stars of the show were the apples. Beautiful, crisp and succulent, they were always the best apples of the year. We’d always get several bags of apples of different types, and mom would make sure she had the correct types for the recipes she planned on preparing.

And then there was the apple cider. Gallons of the stuff. As soon as we got home, Dad would pour a good half gallon into a pot and heat it up. A few sticks of cinnamon was all he added, and when it was hot, he’d ladle it into big mugs. We’d all meet in the den, each with our steaming mug of liquid ambrosia. It’s all still so clear in my mind – that little piece of childhood… a time when everything was right with the world. Oh to be a child again and to experience the turning of the leaves with a child’s perspective.

So here I am in California, and the weather is turning colder. Fall has fallen, as Dad used to say, and it’s time for some apples. While much of the countryside near me is covered with grapes (for wine, don’t you know), there are still large swaths of land devoted to other produce. Including, I’m relieved to say, apples!

When I was young, Mom used to serve applesauce with pork chops. It’s sort of a law in some households, that you have some sort of apples when you have pork. I don’t know. It looks weird when I type it, but that’s the way it was.

Recently, I’ve come across a variation of the idea. Instead of serving baked apples or applesauce, why not make a sauce with apple cider? And I thought, “yeah, baby!!”

Hungry yet? You should be.

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 to 1-1/2″ thick
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots (or 1/2 cup onion)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup vegetable stock

Instructions:

Remove pork chops from refrigerator and set out to come to room temperature.

Finely mince shallots, or onions if substituting. Set aside.

Heat large pan (big enough to hold the chops with plenty of room around each) over medium-high heat.

Season chops with salt and pepper to taste.

Add olive oil to pan and heat until it shimmers. Then swirl the oil in the pan to coat bottom.

Add chops to pan and cook for 4 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn chops and cook another 4 minutes.

Remove chops from pan to platter. Loosely tent platter with foil to keep chops warm.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. When it’s melted, add shallots (or onions), and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Cook over medium-high heat for two minutes, or until shallots have softened and begun to caramelize (turn brown).

Add apple cider vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone. This should take 3 to 4 minutes.

When vinegar is reduced, add apple cider and vegetable stock. Simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.

Remove thyme sprigs from pan. Return pork chops to pan (along with any juices from the platter). Heat chops for a minute or two on each side to rewarm.

When warm, remove to chops to serving plates.

Whisk remaining tablespoon of butter into sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon sauce over pork chops, top each with a thyme sprig (that’s why you got extra) and serve immediately.

Notes:

Instead of pork chops, you could use a pork tenderloin for this recipe. If so, plan on searing the tenderloin in a pan, then finishing in the oven. That’s the best way I know to end up with a juicy roast.

Serve this with any good green vegetable, some squash and/or pumpkin, or both!

My favorite “starch” to go with this recipe is buttered noodles. Nothing fancy because I don’t want to take focus away from the pork chops. But you could also serve with mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes (which I’m sure my sisters would love!).

If you don’t have vegetable stock on hand, you can use chicken stock or broth. If you don’t have any of these, increase the amount of apple cider. It’s still great.

You’ll notice in the third picture there are a LOT of onions on top of the chop. That’s why I like to use onions in this recipe sometimes. I can add extra and top each chop with some of the onions along with the sauce.

Another great variation for my fellow Hobbit-minded cooks is to add mushrooms to the recipe. If you do this, add them to the pan at the same time as the shallots or onions.

You can’t really get any closer to Fall than you will with this recipe. Unless, of course, you don’t mind eating a pine cone. Honestly, though, I think you’ll be far happier with this recipe. Have fun, and…

Play with your food!

Lane

Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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