Brined Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

Brined pork chops with apple chutney
(mashed potatoes & sauteed zucchini squash)

Pork Chops have been on my mind since Mad Men’s Dark Shadow episode aired where Betty (Draper/Francis) savored that one bite of a pork chop Henry Francis shared for a midnight snack.  I hate Betty Francis, and I hate her even more when she was Betty Draper, but by God, no one ever made me want pork chops as much as she did!

I am a firm believer of brining.  Poultry and pork in particular benefit greatly from brining, it makes the finish product juicer and tastier.  For this pork chop, I used a brine recipe from the Dean & Deluca Cookbook --

Brined pork chops

8 c water

¼ cup salt

3 Tbs sugar

3 bay leaves

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 tsp peppercorns

1 clove garlic, smashes

Put all ingredients in a bowl, add pork, place in refrigerator and brine for 8-12 hours and overnight.  Remove pork, rinse, pat dry and cook per recipe you are using.

Sexy zucchini I scored at the Marietta Square Market

Brined Pork Chops w/ Apple Chutney

4 Pork chops , brined

1 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 fuji apple, peeled, diced, tossed with

     1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

¼ cup raisins

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ cup white wine

2 Tbs orange juice

2 Tbs butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat skillet over medium-high and coat it with olive oil.  Cook pork chops until lightly browned.  Transfer to a roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F for medium and 160 F for well done. 

Meanwhile, prepare the chutney.

Using the same skillet, cook the onions until tender.  Add apples and raisins and season with salt and pepper.  Add wine and orange juice, then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add butter and simmer 10 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pork chops from the oven.  Rest, covered, for five minutes.  Serve pork chops with chutney.