I started this morning like I do most others...carrying dishes downstairs to the kitchen. The mister's dishes. Last night I made him this fabulous meal...truly, one of the best we've had in weeks! He loved it, even had seconds...and then, an hour after dinner, his nightly routine began. Clad in his pajamas, the mister, who likes to watch TV in bed, walked down to the kitchen and got himself a MIXING BOWL sized amount of cereal. He brought it back upstairs and ate his cereal while he watched NCIS or Law and Order or CSI or whatever grisly show was on. After finishing the cereal, he set his bowl and spoon on his nightstand...he would NEVER even THINK of carrying his dishes back to the kitchen...then headed back downstairs for ice cream...another HUGE bowl and spoon. Usually he stops after the ice cream, but last night he went back down for a plate full of dill pickles and a half a bag of potato chips. If I didn't know better I'd say he was pregnant...he certainly eats like he is and he's even starting to show! So this morning I carried two mixing bowls, two spoons, one plate and an empty potato chip bag downstairs...pitiful. I have friends who would NEVER allow this type of behavior...and I'm fairly certain one of them, after reading this, will cross me off her list. I know it's my fault, I didn't know I was supposed to TRAIN him when I got married. No one told me. And now it's too late.
I have another wonderful pork chop recipe, Cider Brined Pork Chops With Tart Cherry Chutney and up till now it's been my favorite autumn dish to make...but this one, well, this one is probably in my top five. This is SO good I'd have to say it's the PERFECT autumn meal...cider, fresh thyme, apples...and the cider "gravy," really more of a sauce, is so good you might be tempted to fill a glass with it. I let the pork chops sit in cider over night in the refrigerator, although letting them marinate for a few hours would do just as well.
Don't let these pictures fool you - this is an EASY dish...cook the chops, saute the apples, onions and thyme, make the gravy...that's it - about 20 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cook time...not counting the marinating. My only regret is that I only cooked THREE chops! I should have cooked the entire package - but then, we would have eaten them all in one sitting and an hour later he still would have gone on his feeding frenzy!
Cider Marinated Pork Chops With Cider Gravy, Sauteed Apples and Onions - Adapted from Food Network, Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book
(Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book comes out in paperback on November 4th - it's a good one!)
4 boneless pork chops (approximately 1-inch thick)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored, peels left on, thinly sliced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups cloudy apple cider, separated (clear cider is not nearly as flavorful)
1/2 cup chicken stock
Marinte the chops in 1 cup of the cider in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator, discard the cider. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chops until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side, tenting loosely with foil once you turn the chops. Remove the cooked chops to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add remaining olive oil and the onions, apples and time to skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until just tender, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Douse with juice from the 1/2 lemon and remove to the plate with the chops. Add the butter to the skillet and when it melts, whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, then whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup cider and stock. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes to thicken. Return the chops, apples and onions to the skillet, gently mix until all if covered with gravy. Put lid on and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until heated thoroughly. Serve hot, spooning apples, onions and gravy over chops. Makes 4 servings.
"I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage." - Erma Bombeck
