Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Braised Cabbage, Apple and Onion

I had some beautiful pork chops ready to go for dinner; however, I was scrambling a bit for a something delicious to serve alongside. In the fridge, I found the Napa cabbage that I bought from the farmers’ market last Saturday, plus the two crisp apples leftover from that shopping trip as well.  Knowing full well that both flavors play really nicely with pork, I knew that I was on to something good. I also had onions; never underestimate the power of such a humble vegetable. I lean heavily on caramelized onions as a way to build
layers of flavor into many a dish. Using these three ingredients, plus a bit of apple cider, some fresh herbs and caraway seed, I came up with a delicious, easy
and seasonal side dish.

As always, use the best and freshest ingredients you can find – it really makes a difference, especially in a simple dish such as this.

I made some homemade cornbread to round things out, but you can keep it even simpler with some fresh rye or pumpernickel bread spread with butter and sprinkled with salt. If you are after a heartier meal, swap out the bread and make some mashed potatoes or pureed squash instead.

I hope that you like this as much as we did.

Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Braised Cabbage, Apple and Onion

Bone in pork loin rib chops – one per person

Spice rub: 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp each granulated garlic and raw sugar, ¼ tsp smoked paprika/pimenton

Olive oil, for browning the chops

A few whole sprigs of fresh thyme and sage

¼-½ cup apple cider

1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (you could use easily use raw apple cider vinegar here, but I like the flavor and color that balsamic lends to the pan
sauce)

1-2 Tablespoons butter

Braised Cabbage, Apple and Onion

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1 medium onion; sliced in half lengthwise, then crosswise in thin crescents

½ head of Napa cabbage, leaves washed and trimmed of center rib; cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise in thin ribbons

Up to ¼ cup apple cider

A few whole sprigs of fresh sage/thyme

2 organic apples unpeeled, washed and cored, grated or cut into small dice

1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (or juice and zest of ½ organic lemon)

Salt/pepper/smoked paprika

1-2 teaspoons caraway seeds

To prepare chops:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season chops with spice rub, then let sit out at room temperature while oven preheats. In a cast iron pan,large enough to hold the chops in one even layer, heat a bit of olive oil; when shimmering, place chops in pan. Sear first one side then the other. You want a nice, hot pan here to nicely brown and caramelize the chops in this step, but be careful not to burn them, you are not looking to finish cooking them on the stovetop either.

Add a few sprigs of sage and thyme to the pan, along with a splash
of apple cider – you want the bottom to be covered evenly, but you
don’t want your chops swimming. Cover pan with an oven-safe cover (or tinfoil)
and place in oven, until meat thermometer inserted in a chop registers 140 degrees, about 10 minutes or so, depending upon oven. Chops will continue to cook a bit out of the oven, so you don’t want to overcook all of that moistness you just roasted in.

Remove chops to a plate and cover with foil. Carefully place pan over high heat (handle will be hot!), and add a splash of vinegar to deglaze, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add another splash of cider if there is not enough ‘juice’ left in pan.  Allow to come to a boil, and cook until reduced
and slightly syrupy, adding a pat or two of butter at the end to gloss up that
pan sauce. Remove herb stems and return chops and any accumulated juices to pan, turning to coat evenly on both sides. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile prepare cabbage:

Heat oil and butter in large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté for a moment or so at this heat. Cover, turn down heat to medium, and cook onion until golden brown and soft, about 10 minutes or so. Add cabbage, enough cider to moisten everything nicely, and a few sprigs of thyme and sage. Cover and let cook until cabbage begins to collapse, about 5 minutes or so. Add apples, vinegar, seasonings and seeds, stir well and let cook another minute or so. Remove from heat and keep covered until chops are ready.

When ready to serve, plate some of the cabbage and prop a pork chop partially on top. Spoon some of that delicious pan sauce over top and serve. Save the leftover pan sauce and pass it around at the table.