A very special thanks to a friend of mine on Facebook for recommending this delicious recipe that screams Fall-time to me. I know, it’s technically still summer but we have been having cooler nights here in Redwood City, CA, that lend themselves to heartier fare. Since I’m on a comfort food kick right now these fit into that category just fine.
There’s bone-in pork chops, apples, onion, and beer. Through the wonders of braising this dish turns out incredibly flavorful and the meat is fall-apart tender. Don’t worry about the beer or whether that flavor will overpower everything else, it doesn’t. The beer flavor mellows out a lot, helps form a delicious gravy, and mixes in really well with the other flavors. The final taste profile is very much savory. Pair it will a yummy rice pilaf with veggies and you have a great meal!
- 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings or oil
- 4 center cup pork chops, bone-in
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups lager beer
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Trim chops of any excess fat.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add bacon drippings, or oil, and brown chops. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add sliced garlic, sliced onions and sliced apples and saute until golden brown. Set aside.
- Melt butter in same skillet and add flour. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add beer and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened.
- Add back in garlic, onions, and apples. Put pork chops on top.
- Spoon gravy over pork chops and apple and onions, cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour.
Hummmm I’m liking that
It’s really good, Jeff! I was surprised at how savory it became after all the braising. The beer flavor mellows a lot and adds a great richness to the gravy. YUM!!!