Cider-Braised Pork

Since my daughter's music department at school is selling apple products this fall from a local orchard, I just had to purchase some fresh apple cider (the good stuff with NO preservatives!) as well as some apple butter and a bag of Gala apples. They also offer apple pies, cakes, sauce, and other tempting products. A percentage of the proceeds goes toward their spring trip to Nashville in April. (Those lucky ducks!) Local folks (local to Marriotts Ridge High School!) who are looking for some delicious holiday treats can order online (www.mrhsmusic.net) and support the band, orchestra, and choral groups.

With these supplies on hand, I decided to pull out this pork recipe that I found on a Cook's Country cooking show DVD. Cook's Country is a fantastic show created by the producers of Cook's Illustrated magazine and America's Test Kitchen. I have learned TONS about the best way to cook all different kinds of dishes from this show.

I am not always the hugest pork fan. Pork chops can be really dry and tough if they don't have enough marbling. I made this dish with boneless country-style pork ribs instead of the pork chops that the recipe called for because I didn't really like the look of the chops that were available. The ribs worked beautifully and I didn't have to worry about any bones!

Ingredients:

4 thick-cut (1-2") pork blade chops (or 2-3 lbs. country-style pork ribs)
Plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive or coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-4 TB. apple butter
1 cup apple cider

Preheat oven to 300F. Sprinkle the meat with lots of salt and pepper. Season heavily!

In a dutch oven, or heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown the meat for about 4 minutes on each side, or until well browned. Remove meat from pan and lower heat. Pour off all fat except for 1 TB. Saute the onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Turn off heat and add apple butter and apple cider. Stir well to scrape up any bits stuck to pan. Add chops back into pan and cover tightly. Bake for 1 and a half to two hours, or until a fork slides easily out of the meat. Remove chops from pan. Add 2 more TB apple butter to thicken sauce if desired. Serves at least 4 very hungry large adults, with plenty for leftovers! (Serve with sauerkraut and fried apples or roasted butternut squash.)

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Comments

  1. Can you tell us which school is selling the apple products?

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