Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Pork chops are super easy to make and delicious (if done right). I found this intriguing pork chop recipe recently and just had to try it. It was delicious, although I made some adjustments to the way I cooked the pork - namely, by first drenching it in flour and cooking it in a bit of butter to give it more flavor than simply brushing the chops with oil, as the original recipe suggested. The apples and the pork chops go amazingly well together!

As an aside, don't buy into the National Pork Board's marketing scam. Pork is a red meat, and is classified as such by the USDA.

CARAMEL APPLE PORK CHOPS

Ingredients

• 4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
2. In a shallow dish, mix flour with salt and pepper to taste. Dip pork chops in the flour mixture, making sure that both sides are covered.
   
3. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops, turning occasionally, a few minutes on each side until brown. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
4. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
5. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

Yields: 4 servings

Links:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramel-Apple-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx