Pork Chops with Sweet Onions and Apples

& Cheesy Crushed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Onions:

3 T butter

1 large firm crisp apple, peel  

3 Vidalia or red onions

Salt and pepper

1 large bay leaf 

1 T sugar or light brown sugar

2 T cider vinegar 

Potatoes:

12 medium thin skin white or gold potatoes (need to be large enough to cut in half)

Salt

Non-aerosol cooking spray

Pepper

2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese or easy melting cheeses of choice

1 cup sour cream – I put mine in a squirt bottle for easy distribution and some brands make squirt bottles as well

½ cup finely chopped chives

Pork Chops:

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 ½ inches thick

1 t EACH cumin, granulated garlic and onion

¼ t allspice

2 T olive or vegetable oil

½ cup chicken bone broth or stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 with rack at center.

Peel and chop apple, halve and thinly slice onions.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with butter and when it melts add apples and onions and season with salt, pepper, bay and sugar, soften but do not brown 7-8 minutes add 1 cup water and turn onions up, evaporate the water and reduce heat back to medium low, add vinegar. 

Meanwhile, cover potatoes with water and bring to boil, salt the water, when the potatoes are just fork-tender 10 minutes or so, drain.  Line baking sheet with parchment and crush potatoes with the bottom of a water glass.  Spray the potatoes with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper, bake 10 minutes, add cheese bake 2 minutes, top with sour cream and chives.     

While potatoes are working, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Pat chops dry and trim, if necessary, of excess fat at edges.  Season with salt and pepper and combine cumin, garlic, onion and allspice, rub chops evenly on both sides of chops with the mixture, add oil to skillet, 2 turns of the pan, cook chops to 145 on instant read thermometer, about 8 minutes, and place on platter, add stock to pan and spoon juices and drippings over chops. 

Serve chops topped with onions and 3 crushed cheesy potatoes alongside.