I Have 99 (Food) Problems But Fruit Isn’t One of Them: Pork Chops or Chicken with Apples

My son’s capriciousness is not limited to fish. I don’t know from day to day whether or not he likes pork, and invariably I’ll make pork chops on what is clearly a Chicken Day. And if, god forbid, I make chicken, he’ll declare that he’s tired of the same thing all the time and could I mix it up a bit? The solution, of course, is to make whatever I want or whatever is in the freezer or whatever is on sale. I give the illusion of choice by asking him which he prefers when I make the grocery list, but I’d be lying if I said that I actually listen to this (he always asks for the same 3 things anyway, and everyone else in the family is sick of them).

The one constant in his diet is apples. Never, ever, ever in the history of the world has there been a kid who loves apples like he does. Some people budget for junk food or restaurant dinners or wine; I have a fruit budget. We could literally have an orchard in the back yard and not keep up. I fully expect swarms of fruit flies to follow him around during the warmer months, and briefly considered whether a medieval-style pomander of vinegar and dish soap worn around his neck would address the problem as handily as it does my garbage disposal.

Imagine my delight when I came across this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light (September 2016, and I have I mentioned enough times that you really ought to subscribe?). Here I have a 50/50 chance of picking a meat that he will eat; it is ridiculously good, takes almost no effort, and is nice enough that you could serve it to company. It scales up nicely and holds well at room temperature if your family is eating in shifts due to someone’s sports schedule; throw a green veg on the side and you won’t even miss the starchy stuff.

Chicken or Pork Chops with Apples 

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 bone-in pork chops or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/2 cup  chicken stock

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 medium apples, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly vertically sliced

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper, then add to the pan and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Combine stock and mustard and whisk to combine. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add sage, rosemary, apple, onion, and a bit more salt and pepper to the pan and cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock/mustard mixture. Return meat to the pan and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.