Mama's High Strung ® 30 minutes Archives

Baked Pork Chops and Apples

September22

One great thing about the changing weather is that comfort food, like my delicious Baked Pork Chops and Apples, is back on the table.

I really like this recipe for Baked Pork Chops and Apples because it’s quick and easy (of course). But if you hit the farmers markets, you’ll find an amazing assortment of apples that can really make this an interesting dish.

I don’t know why pork and apples play so well together. Maybe it’s because pork needs the sweetness of the apples to bring out its flavor. Or maybe, if the pork is cooked properly, the apples add just the right amount of moisture to the meat to make the flavors pop.

And speaking of overcooking your pork— don’t!

If you like it dry and white and hard, that’s fine (yes, I’m judging). But, really, there’s like zero chance of you getting trichinosis or some other wild disease if your pork chops are slightly pink in the center. They’ll be moist and delicious and taste like they should, not like a cooked shoe.

I’ve added a little apple cider vinegar to my Baked Pork Chops and Apples because it brings a little brightness to the dish.

What is brightness? It’s that little mouth spark that you get when you first bite into something delicious that makes you want to keep eating it.

Meat needs a bit of brightness because it has very little natural acid. And acid (think lemon juice) helps enhance flavors.

Fall has fallen. Cooler weather is on the way. But there’s comfort in what I’ll be putting on the table over the next few months.

Quick and Easy Baked Pork Chops with Apples and Onions from Mama's High Strung

Baked Pork Chops and Apples

prep: 15 minutes

cook: 40 minutes

serves: 4

you’ll need…

4 6-ounce boneless loin pork chops

1 tablespoon thyme

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

⅓ cup fat free low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large crisp apple, (about 8 ounces) cored and cut into 12 wedges

1 large red onion (about 8 ounces), cut into 12 wedges

let’s get to it…

Heat the oven to 425°F. Place oven rack in the center.

Rub the pork chops evenly with the thyme and black pepper; set aside.

Whisk the chicken broth, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and 1 tablespoon of oil together in small bowl; set aside.

Heat a large cast iron or nonstick (oven proof!) skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat for 1 minute. Add the pork chops and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until brown; remove from heat.

Scatter apples and onion wedges on top of the pork chops.

Pour stock mixture over the apples, onions and chops.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until apples are light brown and the chops are at 145°F.

Serve immediately, spooning the pan juice over the chops, apples and onions.

Nutrition Facts per serving Total Calories 290.4 Total Fat 14.8g Cholesterol 56.3mg Sodium 648mg Total Carbohydrates 13.4g Dietary Fiber 4.2g Sugars 5.6g Protein 27.3g

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Plated + Served: Salt-Crusted Baked Fish

April1

Two reasons why you should roast a whole fish in a salt crust:

1. It’s incredibly easy.
2. The presentation is so impressive no one will believe how easy.

Two excuses that’ll keep you from even trying:

1. It’ll taste too salty and I’m trying to avoid sodium.
2. It’s too hard.

Okay, now take a look at the recipe. How hard is that? Not at all, right? And by the way, you bake the fish in the salt crust… you don’t actually eat the salt crust (so the fish is moist and tender, not at all salty).

Put this on the menu for this weekend… that’ll give you enough time to find a place that sells whole fish (don’t forget to ask them to gut, scale and take the fins off for you).

Now… stop making excuses and get going!

Salt-Crusted Baked Fish

prep: 15 minutes
cook: 30 to 40 minutes (depending on the size of the fish)

you’ll need…
1 whole fish (2 to 3 pounds) (red snapper, striped sea bass, rockfish, croaker, grouper, porgy) gutted, cleaned with the gills removed
5 cups kosher salt
8 egg whites
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 lemon cut into about 6 thin slices

let’s get to it…
Line a baking sheet or baking pan large enough to hold the fish with foil with ends of foil extending over the side. Move oven rack to center position. Heat oven to 450°F.
Remove the fish from the refrigerator and dry completely, inside and out. Let stand at room temperature while you make the crust.

Covering the Fish with the Salt Crust Mixture

Mix the salt, egg whites and flour together in a medium bowl.
Spoon a ¼-inch layer of the salt mixture slightly larger than the size of the fish onto the baking sheet or baking pan. Place the fish on top. Layer the lemon slices inside the fish. Spoon the remaining mixture thickly on top of the fish, following the shape of the fish (so the salt crust is “fish” shaped). Blot the top of the crust and the bottom of the pan to mop up an excess water.
Bake for 30 minutes (for a 2 to 3 pound fish). Add 10 minutes for each additional pound of fish.
Remove fish from baking sheet or baking pan with foil handles and place on a serving platter. Take the platter to the table and crack the crust into big pieces with the back of a heavy spoon; place broken crust in a separate bowl. Remove skin if it didn’t come off.
Lift off the top filet with a spatula and serve. Remove the center bones and lift the bottom filet and serve. Garnish with the lemon slices.

Cracking Open the Baked Crust

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Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com