Apple Smothered Pork Chops

Yield: Serves 4
Time:

Serve with rice, mashed potatoes or instant polenta and a side of Brussels sprouts or other green vegetable. If you roast the chops in a nice-looking pan, such as an oval gratin dish, you can serve from it, generating fewer dishes to clean.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds center-cut boneless pork chops, about 1-inch thick
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil
• 2 small apples, unpeeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 thyme sprig plus more to garnish
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Season the pork chops with plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large saute pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add enough vegetable oil to fully coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the pork chops. Brown well, for about 3 minutes, then flip and brown a minute or two more.
3. Place the chops in a baking pan, place in the oven and bake until firm and only the slightest blush of pink remains, about 15-18 minutes for 1-inch-thick chops (8-10 minutes for thinner chops).
4. Place the saute pan over medium heat. Add the apples, onion and whole thyme sprig to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to scrape some of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the apples and onions are lightly browned and slightly limp, about 5 minutes, add the wine, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
5. Add enough salt and pepper to the apples so they don’t seem too sweet. When the pork chops are done, pour the apple mixture and juices over them and remove the wilted thyme.
6. Allow to rest 5 minutes, then serve, garnished with fresh thyme.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, April 4, 2007