Pork Chops & Applesauce
If you are a North American who grew up in the sixties and seventies you would have had to live under a rock not to know who the Brady Bunch were! It was a very popular half hour sitcom on the television! It was about a two widowers with children (her 3 daughters, him 3 sons) who married and became the Brady Bunch!
One episode that really sticks out in my memories was the one where Bobby Brady was doing an impression of Humphrey Bogart whilst saying Pork Chops & Applesauce. Entitled "The Personality Kid," I believe it is probably the one episode which sticks out in most people's memories. When I think of Pork Chops and Applesauce, I always think of this particular show and I always think of my mom who was tickled pink with it and used to like to repeat the phrase in Humphrey Bogart's voice as well when we were having pork chops and apple chops for supper! I guess it became a bit of a family tradition!
With fresh Bramley Apples coming into the shops at the moment, there is no time like the present to make a couple of batches of delicious apple sauce! Bramley Apples are the UK's favourite cooking apple. Large and green and stout with flattened ends, green in colour with a red flush, these apples are perfect for making apple sauce, pies, crumbles, etc. I don't think they are readily available anywhere else in the world, so you will have to make do with whatever your favourite cooking apple is!
Apple sauce is such an easy make and you can do up batches and freeze it in containers for use over the winter. You just can't beat a batch of fresh apple sauce to serve along with your pork chops.
This apple sauce is not as sweet as the applesauce you might want to eat for dessert. It is slightly tart and rich from the addition of some butter. You just put peeled and sliced apples into a saucepan along with some sugar and butter and cook over low heat until they break down. Bramley apples are actually quite fluffy when they break down which makes them perfect for this sauce.
I don't mash it when done, I just beat it up with a fork. Perfection!
Bramley Apple Sauce
Yield: 6
Perfect in every way. Slightly tart with just a hint of sweetness. The perfect condiment to go with pork.
ingredients:
- 3 Bramley apples, peeled cored and sliced (or the equivalent of another cooking apple)
- 50g caster sugar (1/4 cup)
- 50g butter (3 1/2 TBS)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
instructions:
How to cook Bramley Apple Sauce
- Tip all of the ingredients into a pan. Cover with a lid. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are very soft and have broken down. Beat with a fork. Serve immediately or tip into a bowl, cover and chill until needed.
The chops themselves are also very easy to make. It is an old, old recipe that I copied out of one of my mother's recipe books many years ago. It was a little paper back book containing recipes for cooking meats. I can still see the cover in my head, but the name escapes me. I must be getting old!
These chops always turn out tender and delicious. It is a very simple way to cook them and is really more of a technique than a recipe.
Bone in loin pork chops are dusted with some herbs and seasonings. I like to slash the fatty edge with some kitchen scissors. This simple trick prevents them from curling up when they are cooking.
I then lay them on a buttered baking sheet and sprinkle some bread crumbs over top and dot with butter.
The original author used to pour water or stock around them in the baking dish, but I have always used apple juice.
It imparts a slight apple flavour to the sweet succulence of pork that is quite delicious!
You could use pineapple instead if you wanted to. The acid from the fruit juice helps to tenderise the meat.
That's my story anyways and I'm sticking to it. Sometimes I flip them over and repeat the treatment on the other side halfway through the cooking. Sometimes I don't.
They always come out delicious no matter what. Pork Chops and Applesauce! Why not cook some today!
Yield: variable
Oven Baked Breaded Pork Chops
This is more of a method than a recipe. It is the way I have been doing my breaded pork chops for years and years. They always end up tender and moist. The crumbs on the bottom don't alway stick, but they do meld into the juices to make a lucious sauce and the crumbs on the top always stay put. All in all they are truly delicious.
ingredients:
- 1 bone in pork chop per person
- salt, pepper, dried sage and onion granules
- 2 TBS of fine dry bread crumbs per chop
- butter to dot
- apple juice
instructions:
How to cook Oven Baked Breaded Pork Chops
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Cut the fatty edge of the chop (s) with some kitchen scissors at 1/3 inch intervals and place it/them onto a baking sheet with a raised edge, which you have lined with foil and buttered. the size of baking sheet depeds on how many chops you are cooking. Obviously if you are only cooking one or two you will want a smaller baking tray.
- Dust the top surface of each chop with some salt, pepper, sage (rubbed between your fingertips) and onion granules to taste. Then sprinkle a tablespoon of bread crumbs evenly over top of each one. Dot with butter. Pour apple juice into the baking tray evenly around the chops, trying not to disturb the crumbs on top.
- Place the tray into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking to make sure the apple juice does not boil dry in the pan. Once the crumbs have begun to brown on top, remove the pan from the oven.
- Carefully turn each chop over without disturbing the crumb topping and repeat the process for seasoning and crumbing on the underside. If you need more juice in the pan, once again pour it around the chops.
- Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned on top and the juices have thickened into a bit of a sauce. Check every 5 to 6 minutes or so to make sure the pan is not going dry and top up with more juice if need be. Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top. Fabulous!
Todd loves pork chops. He was in heaven. I served these with the apple sauce, baked potatoes, green beans, carrots and cauliflower cheese. Yes, he is a bit spoiled, but why not! He's always most appreciative!
Up tomorrow: Surprise!
