Yeah... The name say it all. Those
flavors all melded together in one pot no less is divine. Give me flavor
complements like sweet and salty or sweet and tart or sweet and savory and I'm
in love! This dish bodes well for such culinary complements!
Braising is probably next to roasting
as my favorite cooking method for many things. Taking a meat and braising - not
boiling it - is a delicate method to delicious cuts of meat! Gently infusing a
gorgeous pork chop with apple cider is nothing short of divine. And this dish
is easy and relativity quick! Wilt some kale in it and you've a one dish
wonder!
I start with a Dutch oven and begin
browning the pork chops on either side to form a slight crust. Salt and
peppering the pork and high heat allows this. Searing them may be technically
more apropos in culinary diction but y'all get me! Once the chops or even
tenderloin are seared and crusted, I remove them from the pan onto a plate to
rest.
Next, in the onion or two go to brown
in the Dutch oven...No shock there folks! I use Mimi's adage, "butter for
flavor, oil for temperature!" I really like to use red onions for this
dish because they're color is so lovely - plus they caramelize fantastically!
Brown the onions in some butter and oil and salt and pepper handsomely.
This is the base of your meal y'all and adding salt at the end to me doesn't do
salt and pepper their true justice of bringing out their companions' natural
flavor.
Once the onion begins to brown, I add
chopped apples - a mix of sweet and tart such as Granny Smith and Fuji. I also
like to throw in some whole garlic cloves to brown, sweeten and soften -
they're delicious all mushed together with the apples and onions.
Once this mixture has melded together
and smells utterly heavenly, I throw in some rosemary... Who knew that the
smell of those ingredients could make the Angels sing? Once the rosemary
softens a tad and is quite aromatic, add the pork back to the Dutch oven and
pour in a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and then some apple
cider. A cup of cider per pound or chop will do the trick!
A nice little time in a 375 oven -
say 25-30 minutes or until pork is medium well to well done - will make your
kitchen smell even more heavenly. If you'd like a green element to the dish,
add some kale! It'll wilt down almost instantly upon removing the dish from the
oven.
Pork is naturally sweet and thus
fairs so well with apples and onions. This little piggy adores this dish all
fall and even into wintertime. I hope y'all do too!