Harvest Pork Chops with Kale and Apples
Serves 4
Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For a simple dinner with the flavors of fall, we combined juicy pork chops and apples
with hearty, healthy kale. When developing other recipes for pork chops, we’ve found
that the best cut of pork chop for the slow cooker is the blade chop. This cut, from
the shoulder end of the loin, typically contains a good amount of fat and connective
tissue, helping it to remain juicy after several hours in a slow cooker. But when
we tried adding everything straight to the slow cooker, the pork chops cooked through
before the apples and kale were done. The solution was to jump-start the kale and
apples in the microwave along with the aromatics so that they were evenly cooked by
the time the pork chops were tender. To reinforce the apple flavor, we used apple
cider for the braising liquid. A little sage rounded out the flavors. Very often,
blade chops aren’t labeled specifically as such. Just look for bone-in chops with
a good streak of dark meat running through the center of the chop or for chops with
as much dark meat as possible. The kale may seem like a lot at first, but it wilts
down substantially. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
12 |
ounces kale, stemmed and sliced into ½-inch-wide strips |
|
2 |
apples, peeled, cored, and quartered |
|
1 |
cup chopped onion |
|
½ |
cup apple cider |
|
2 |
teaspoons dried sage |
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4 |
(8-ounce) bone-in blade-cut pork chops, ¾ inch thick |
|
|
Salt and pepper |
1. Microwave kale, apples, onion, apple cider, and sage in covered bowl, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silverskin on each chop. Season chops with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender, 2 to 3 hours on low.
2. Transfer chops to serving dish, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Season kale and apple mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.