Serves: 4Prep Time: 1 hourCook Time: 1 hourInactive Cook Time: 2 hours
MICHAEL: This elementary school principal and mother of three calls herself the “Princess of Pork.” And let me tell you, Nicole really brought her A game to The Chew to compete in our first ever Chewer vs. Viewer Challenge. Her pork chops destroyed my dish! And as the winner, Nicole was given eternal bragging rights, going home with the “I Beat Iron Chef Michael Symon” trophy. I’m hoping she’ll come back for a rematch. It’s time for me to regain my title.
4 double-cut pork chops (1½–2 inches thick, bone-in)
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Olive oil
¼ cup white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
FOR THE BRINE:
1 gallon apple cider
¾ cup kosher salt, dissolved in 1 cups of warm water
1 cup dark brown sugar
Freshly ground pepper
8–10 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
FOR THE APPLE MASH:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 medium apples (3 McIntosh and 3 Granny Smith), peeled and diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1½ cups apple cider
1 sprig thyme
1 lemon, juiced
1 shot glass apple brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
FOR THE ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS:
1 bag brussels sprouts (about 1 pound), halved
1 lemon
½ cup toasted pecans
½ cup sundried tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1. Place chops in brine. (I use a large bowl.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Remove chops from the brine, pat dry, and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic pepper and kosher salt.
4. In a cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown for 3–4 minutes per side.
5. Remove from pan and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for another 30 minutes until temperature reaches 140–145°F.
6. Allow chops to rest covered with foil for about 10 minutes.
7. Once you have removed the chops from the pan and placed them in the oven, deglaze the frying pan with white wine. Add butter to make a glaze. Add salt, pepper, a sprig of rosemary, and a sprig of thyme to add flavor. Drizzle on chops and around the plate.
FOR THE APPLE MASH:
8. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt butter and add the apples. Cook to soften the apples, about 5–10 minutes. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar, and then add a little apple cider to the apple mixture, stirring, adding just enough to get an applesauce consistency. Add the thyme and some fresh lemon juice. Finally, remove from the heat, add a shot of apple brandy, and return to the heat. Stir in vanilla at the end.
9. Serve on top of the chop.
FOR THE ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS:
10. Preheat oven to 425°F.
11. Place Brussels sprouts in bowl and toss with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes until brown and tender. Add sundried tomatoes and pecans toward the end of the cooking time, about 10 minutes before they are done. Squeeze fresh lemon over the sprouts when they come out of the oven, season with salt, and serve with chops and apple mash.
