I find pork chops quite uninteresting, even though pork is my favourite meat. Of the cuts, I think the chop is the least exciting and I often find myself shallow frying it and adding interest by means of a mustard sauce of some sort. This time I decided to treat the chop as any other cut that can be slow cooked (think pulled pork…).
This is attempt #2. And because it worked and came out delicious, it’s now worth a post. Attempt #1 failed due to a series of mistakes, the most obvious of which was to think it was a good idea to try something completely new and set the oven to cook it for 4 hours whilst going about my daily affairs. It was edible but just because I have a good nose and smelled the stupid idea before the burnt apples at the bottom of my prized pot roast pan caught fire. Mistakes 2, 3 and 4 were not enough liquid for such a long cooking time, oven too high (even though it was low) and a pan that doesn’t seal completely, and so lets some of the all-important moisture escape during cooking.
So I added more liquid, opted for completely sealing the oven-proof dish with foil and lowered the cooking temperature. And kept an eye on it so I could calculate the ideal time in the oven too.
Ok, you may be thinking pork + apples + dates + thyme… anyone can make those work. And you’re right, there is no magic here. I just found one of many ways to put these things together and make something yummy. And here I am sharing it with you, hoping you will give it a try and that it makes you happy too.
If you do, make sure when you cut through the meat and stab it with your fork that you grab some apple and date as well for the perfect mouthful.
- 2 pork chops
- Salt flakes to taste
- black pepper to taste
- olive oil extra virgin
- 15 grams butter
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 4 echallion shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup dates de-stoned
- 15 ml cider vinegar
- 150 ml cider
- 1 tsp paprika ground
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Preheat the oven at 140 degrees Celsius (275 Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 1). Season the pork chops with salt flakes and black pepper and reserve. Prepare the oven-proof dish by spraying the bottom with olive oil (if you don't have a spray, use a brush to spread the oil thinly). Place a few knobs of butter in the area you will lay the apples and chops.
- Slice the Granny Smith apple thinly and lay the slices on top of the butter, slightly overlapping. Thinly slice the garlic and the shallots and chop the dates into quarters (or halves if you prefer).
- Seal the pork chops in a frying pan with a little olive oil, just enough to brown all sides.
- Place the chops on top of the apple slices. Then pile the garlic slices, shallots and dates on top of the chops and finally the thyme sprigs.
- In a jug, mix the cider vinegar with the paprika, the cumin seeds and the cider and then pour over the chops. Cover with aluminium foil, sealing well.
- Place in the oven and let it cook for 4 hours. Remove the foil after this time and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Want more slow cooked recipes? Check this beef pot roast and the perfect pulled pork.
2 Comments
Looks delicious!
Thank you Andrea! It’s not the handsomest of dishes but it surely tastes lovely. Thank you for dropping by (even though I have struggled to keep the blog going).