Cinnamon Rubbed Pork Chops with Roasted Apples

Cinnamon Rubbed Pork Chops with Roasted Apples

"Pork chops and applesauce." Those of us in the 40+ age bracket have definitely seen the episode of The Brady Bunch when Peter utters that famous line. I decided to try my hand at this recipe and came up with Cinnamon Rubbed Pork Chops with Roasted Apples.

My kids love sauteed apples, and I make them frequently. Not one to repeat many recipes, I tried roasting the apples in the oven instead. A benefit of this method is that once the apples are ready to go into the oven, they basically cook themselves. The center cut pork chops were rubbed with cinnamon and seared in a hot pan. They finished cooking in the oven with the apples. The chops were topped with a glaze of maple syrup, shallots, apple cider vinegar, and a grind of pepper.

This recipe was a hit with the Family. It was also a hit with the Chefmom because of the ease of preparation. I served it with steamed broccoli spears and boiled new potatoes tossed with butter, salt, and pepper.

A tasty meal for a cool fall evening.

Cinnamon Rubbed Pork Chops with Roasted Apples

serves 5

for pork chops -
5 center cut pork chops
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon

for apples -
6 medium sized apples, peeled and thickly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

for glaze -
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper and rub with cinnamon. Set aside.

On a large baking sheet, toss apples and cranberries with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle with butter. Roast in oven for 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and tent with foil until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, heat an ovenproof saute pan to high and coat with olive oil. Add the seasoned chops and sear until browned; about 3 - 4 minutes per side. Place the seared chops into the oven and roast for about 14 - 16 minutes for 1 1/2 inch thick chops or until the internal temperature is 135 degrees. The chops can be roasted in the oven at the same time the apples are cooking. Remove from oven and tent with foil until ready to serve.

To prepare the glaze, heat a small saute pan to medium high and coat with olive oil. Add the shallots and saute for 5 - 6 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar and scrap any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup and a dash of pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 - 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn temperature to low to keep glaze warm.

To serve, place one chop on a plate and drizzle with some of the glaze. Top with the roasted apples.