Author: Lana Stuart at Never Enough Thyme

To celebrate the SweeTango season, the growers partnered with chefs Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook of Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles to create several recipes featuring the SweeTango apple including this one for Pork Chops with Apple Puree. This is a quick and easy recipe that will appeal to everyone in your family.

Ingredients
2 lb. SweeTango apples, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups sugar (1/3 cup)
3 cups water (1 cup)
1/2 cup apple lovage vinegar (1/4 cup apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup grapeseed oil (1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp diced shallot
2 pork chops, thin (4 thick center cut pork loin chops)
(Salt and pepper)
(1 tbsp. butter)
(1 tbsp. canola oil)

Note: ingredients in parenthesis are my changes from the original recipe created by the chefs.

Instructions
Place the peeled and diced apples along with the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until apples are soft and the liquid is reduced (about 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, mix the vinegar, oil, and shallot in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Add the butter and oil to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the pork chops. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through (internal temperature should be 160 degrees).

Finish the apple puree by blending until smooth, or for a chunkier puree simply stir with a fork.

Serve the chops topped with SweeTango apple puree and dress with apple vinaigrette.

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

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Many of my recipes reflect the culture and time in which I grew up and, occasionally, I share glimpses of the simpler, more genteel life we led during my childhood. Although traditional and updated southern cooking form the basis of my experience, I don’t limit Never Enough Thyme to only that style of cooking.