#FoodieExtravaganza: Pork

It’s the first Wednesday of the month (OCTOBER – what?!?!) and that means it’s time to celebrate some foodie fun! Specifically, National Pork Month. (Ironically, it’s also Vegetarian Awareness Month…) Thank you Lauren, host of From Gate to Plate, for hosting our piggy party today!

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share. If you are a blogger and you’re interested in joining in the fun, visit us at our Facebook Foodie Extravaganza page. You can also visit our past party submissions on our Pinterest Foodie Extravaganza board.

I am sharing a recipe that actually fits two of national food month themes – pork and apples! Quite a classic combination, it only makes sense they share a month, too.

A few years ago – four maybe? – my brother gave me Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen for my birthday. I’ve already shared his Poppy Seed Muffin recipe from this cookbook. This recipe is the very first recipe I made from Tyler’s cookbook, I actually used chicken breasts instead of pork and pumpkin pie spice instead of the mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove because I didn’t have two of those ingredients at the time. According to my notes (it’s surprising I took notes years before this blog was even an inkling) I also had to roast the chicken at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. But, today, I’m sharing the version I made more recently – with pork.

Pork Chops with Spiced Apples

Ingredients for pork chops:

• 1 gal water
• 1 C brown sugar
• 1 C sea salt
• 1 C frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
• 4 1″ thick, bone-in pork chops

Ingredients for Apples:

• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 C dried cherries (or raisins, cranberries, or currants)
• 3/4 C frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of cardamom
• pinch of ground mustard

Steps:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the pork chops, except the pork, in a large pot. Stir until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add the chops, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Note: Do not brine longer than that.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Remove pork from the brine and pat dry. Season with S+P. Sear pork chops 4 minutes on each side in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Do this in batches if needed.) Place pork in a casserole dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is reached.
4. Melt the butter in a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apples and thyme. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the dried cherries, apple juice concentrate, sugar, and spices. Season with S+P. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Stir often, scraping the bottom of the pan.
5. Serve apples over the pork chops.

*This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen*

Be sure to check out the rest of these pork recipes:

BBQ Pulled Pork with Mac and Cheese Flatbread by From Gate to Plate
Chili Verde Pork Posole by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Freezer-friendly Spicy Pork Burrito by Brunch with Joy
Healthy Sausage and Rice by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Italian Sausage No Crust Quiche by Cookin’ and Craftin’
Jamie Olivier’s Pork Roast with Crackling by G’Gina’s Kitchenette
Mojo Shredded Pork with Black Beans and Rice by Our Good Life
Parmesan Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin by Cooking with Carlee
Pork and Apple Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pork Meatball Mini Subs by The Freshman Cook
Pork Schnitzel by Making Miracles
Spicy Sticky Pork Ribs by Food Lust People Love
Sweet and Sour Pork by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Thai Basil Meatballs with Peanut-Basil Sauce Two Ways by Caroline’s Cooking

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