What do you make when you have pork chops and apples laying around? Skillet pork chops and apples, of course! Hubs and I had been in a pork chops rut–we were always grilling them or cooking them in our cast iron pan but only seasoning with salt and pepper. But last night we had enough! So after a little Pinterest scrolling I found this recipe by the always reliable Mark Bittman. Not only were the flavors tremendously flavorful, but it was also Fix approved! How do ya like that?
We made a a change here or there (e.g., there was no need for that much oil OR the butter the recipe called for so I’ve removed or updated those from the recipe, below, to make it fit 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme). Oh, and we didn’t have any onions on hand sooo you won’t see those in this pic BUT next time we will definitely be adding them!
Bonus: my three year old ate this, too! Cue, pat Mom and Dad on the back :).
Here’s the recipe and 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below:
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
- 4 1″-thick pork chops, preferably bone in (6 to 8 ounces each)
- 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or light-bodied beer
- 2 Tbsp. chopped shallot or red onion
- 3 medium apples (we used Gala apples), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or water, or more as needed
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Blot the chops dry with a paper towel. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the chops, turn the heat to high, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When they brown and release from the pan easily, turn the chops, season again, and cook this side the same way. The whole process should take about 2 minutes per side or 3 to 5 minutes total.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the wine—be careful here; the wine may splatter a bit when it hits the hot oil—and the shallot and cook, turning the chops once or twice, until the wine is almost evaporated, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer the chops to a plate and return the pan to the heat.
Add the apples and onion to the hot pan and stir until they start to stick, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the stock, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chops to the pan, along with any juices accumulated on the plate. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat so it bubbles steadily, then cover.
Cook, stirring occasionally and turning the chops once or twice, until the chops are tender, 5 to 10 minutes; add another 1/2 cup stock or water if the apples start to stick. When the chops are done, they will be firm to the touch, their juices will run just slightly pink, and when you cut into them the color will be rosy at first glance but turn pale within seconds. By this time the apples and onions will also be soft. Stir in the lemon juice and butter and taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the chops with the sauce on top, garnished with the parsley.
21 Day Fix container breakdown:
1 red (depending on size of pork chop. Ours were thin so it was actually more like 3/4 red), 1/2-1 purple (depending on how much apple you want)
From How to Cook Everything: The Basics (Wiley), by Mark Bittman.
Fit & Fierce Mama 