APPLE and HERB PORK CHOPS

It has been very cold and snowy here, even for Alaska (-16 last night), so we have been "hunkering down" close to home lately. This type of weather inspires me in the kitchen for some strange reason and the result of that "hunkering" is today's Apple and Herb Pork Chops, they are "fall apart tender" and a nice change from traditional fried pork chops.

(4) ¾” thick pork chops (pork sirloins work well too)

1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dired marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon butter
½ cup chopped sweet onion
3 granny smith apples (peeled, cored and large diced)
1/4 cup brown sugar packed (I like dark brown sugar)
¼ cup butter melted
pinch of red pepper flakes (more if you like more heat)

Mix the herbs, salt and pepper and rub all over the pork. Cover and chill for 6 to 8 hours. Brown the pork chops in 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of butter then put them in a 9 x 13 baking pan. In the same frying pan you browned the chops in, saute the chopped onion until it is sweet; add ¼ cup butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar and the large-dice apples. Heat ONLY until sugar has completely dissolved (apples will still be raw).

Put a stack of the apple-onion mixture on each browned pork chop, then drizzle any liquid left in the pan over the apples. Cover tightly and bake at 325° for 45 to 60 minutes or until “fall apart” tender. If the juices are thinner than you like, thicken them with a little cornstarch mixed with water.