Friday Night with Stephanie

A half a pig is a lot of meat... not as much as a quarter of a cow - but certainly enough. Since we have fresh beautiful pork chops and apples still from our tree that need to go - this recipe seemed like a winner to me. It has a LOT of herbs and spices but it all worked together and was great. I even made this on a Friday night after a long hard week, it was amazing. Everyone pitched in - peeling sweet potatoes, nipping beans, setting the table. Everyone together made a great dinner.
We used 3 bone in chops and had extra sauce. I think you could do some potatoes and use the sauce to dress potatoes and veg to - we just aren't those people... at last me and the kids aren't... we like things separate. Certainly a winning meat that we will do again.
Oh and our pig's name is Stephanie. This summer when we were talking about getting this meat - the kids named the cow Jeffrey and the pig Stephanie. Yes... it's very weird. Just saying.

Apple Pork Chops
4 pork chops, see notes
Salt/Pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 apple, sliced.
Sauce
2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ chicken bouillon cube
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried oregano, mustard powder, onion powder, parsley
¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg, no more than a small pinch

Season each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. If possible, let them sit out at room temp for 35-45 minutes. This will give the salt a chance to penetrate through the meat and flavor it. It will also make the pork juicier. If you’re short on time: Season the pork chops just before searing.
Combine the chicken broth with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Make sure the broth is not warm/hot so that you don’t activate the cornstarch. Mix in the remaining sauce ingredients and store in a cool place until ready to use.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork chops and sear 2 at a time for 2-3 minutes on the first side, and 1-2 minutes on the second side. Extra thick cuts can be seared a little longer, and smaller/leaner cuts can be seared more quickly. Set aside and let rest.
Turn the heat off and add the wine. Set heat to medium and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, the brown bits add more flavor to the sauce.
Add the butter and garlic. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
Add the chicken broth mixture (from step 2 of prep work) and bring it to a boil to activate the cornstarch. It will thicken rather quickly once a boil is reached. Once desired thickness is obtained, reduce to a simmer.
Add the pork chops (and any juices from the plate), along with the apples. Spoon the sauce on top. Note: The apples will soften better if they're submerged in the sauce.
Cover and simmer gently for 5-8 minutes, or until the apples have softened and the pork is nearly 145° F.
Remove from heat and let the pork chops rest for 3-5 minutes, the internal temperature will increase a few more degrees and the juices will absorb.