Pan Fried pork chops with apple and cider sauce

 

This is a classic recipe that most people should enjoy, it gets the most out of good pork pairing it with its best friend the apple, whilst not being that sticky sweet apple sauce out of a jar,

For this recipe I went to our local butcher (still a five minute car journey away) and chose two good sized outdoor reared chops from a rare breed pig with a good dry skin on the edge.
The sauce was a 'reduction'  (a 'cheffy' term meaning to boil the sauce away to improve flavour and intensity, as well as its consistency.) of cream and cider (as you can see I used a Swedish one - it was non-alcoholic - left over from when my brother and his family had been around).

To make the dish I first prepped the veg in this case I trimmed and par-boiled some asparagus spears and three large white baking style potatoes to make mash. The asparagus I dropped in boiling water for about five minutes and then fished it out and refreshed it (another cheffy term simply meaning I put it into iced water to stop the cooking and keep the colour.

 

The potatoes I peeled and diced and boiled in plenty of salted water. After about fifteen minutes the potatoes were tender and cooked through, I drained them and put the pan back on the stove with the drained potatoes for about a minute to dry them out a bit (there are few things worse than wet mash!).

After this I added double cream, milk and butter and mashed them down with a hand potato masher (unless your making it for hundreds it's still the best way!) After creating a well seasoned and creamy mash I added two teaspoons of whole grain mustard and mixed that through.

During this time I'd put on a frying pan to warm through to cook the pork chops, I also got four apples and just cut them through the centre.

Pan hot I added a little oil and then the seasoned chops after about four minutes I turned them and added the apples cut side down. The whole pan I then put into a pre-heated oven (around 200*C) - don't do this if you have pans with plastic handles!! Also remember when you take it out the metal handle will be 'Very Hot!' I did forget this with a chatty nine year old and ended up with a good burn on my palm! :-(

If you don't put your pan in the oven it may be a better idea to cut the apple up a bit smaller and then give the chops another five or so minutes on the top of the stove.

After about ten to fifteen minutes of cooking - depending in how well done you like your meat - also allow a bit of extra time if you have a very thick chop!

Take the meat out of the pan with the apple and place it on a plate to rest. Meanwhile add half a finely chopped onion to the (hot!) pan (add a little butter too if you feel it's needed) allow this to sweat out a little without too much colour. After a few minutes when the onion is softened add about a third of a bottle of cider - allow this to reduce with the onion,butter and meat and apple juices. When it looks as though the liquid is just covering the onions add a good splash of double cream and allow to reduce again by around one half, check the seasoning and flavour - turn off the heat.

Now you can start to 'plate-up' - a portion of vegetables leaning against the mustard mash, two apple halves the pork and then a covering of the sauce - you may if you wish strain the sauce before this point to remove the onions (or leave them in?!) 

Now all you have to do is sit down and enjoy it!