Roasted Pork Chops with Apple and Onion Gravy

Part of the reason I became interested in starting a food blog - aside from the fact I've had an ongoing love affair with food since before I could talk - was to stretch myself toward learning how to create my own recipes and flavours.

I find the process much like writing.

The best writers read everything.

And so it seems with cooks.

The more you read, experiment with recipes, and gain a deeper understanding of food and how ingredients come together, the more successful recipes start to become.

Today's foray into my own creativity incorporates two of my favourite flavour combinations: porkchops, and apples.

Revealing my long standing love affair with The Brady Bunch.



Ain't that swell?

In honour of that, I decided to create my own version of Porkchops and Apple Sauce...

And it was a lot of fun.

More fun, actually, than following another cook's directions because imagining my own recipes allows me to be creative and flexible.

Sometimes they flop, but more often than not, I surprise myself with something that turns out to be really, really good.

Today's recipe was just like that.

The ultimate in flavourful, savoury comfort, these easy to make crunchy, tender pork chops blanketed in a subtle apple gravy are sure to please.


Roasted Pork Chops with Apple and Onion Gravy
For printable recipe click HERE

Ingredients

• 4 bone in pork loin chops
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Gravy

• 2 large tart apples, or 4 small tart apples
• one diced onion
• 2 cloves diced garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Brush porkchops on both sides with extra virgin olive oil and, rub with seasoning, and roast in a shallow pan on a rack for one hour at 350.
3. Sautee the onions and apples in large a heavy bottomed frying pan on medium high heat until the onions begin to caramelize and turn golden.
4. Add garlic and continue to sautee another 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic begin to soften and turns fragrant.
5. Stir in salt, pepper, herbes de provence, and 1 tablespoon butter
6. Once butter has melted, sprinkle 1 tablespoon all purpose flour over everything and stir well to incorporate.
7. Add the chicken stock, brown sugar, and worcestershite sauce.
8. Let simmer on low while porkchops roast.
9. Gently mash 1/2 the apples to incorporate into the sauce