Berkshire Pork Chops with Kohlrabi Apple Slaw
Thick-cut pork chops may not be the first thing to come to mind when one thinks "quick dinner," but they're a personal favorite of mine after discovering a trick in an old issue of Cooks Illustrated magazine.
Delicious Berkshire Pork Chops from North Woods Ranch |
But what about a seared brown crust? Don't worry, just keep flipping the pork chops every 4-5 minutes until cooked to your preference. The bronze crust will develop over time, as the exterior of the chop slowly browns and caramelizes.
After the First Flip: Browning Beginning to Develop |
Sadly underused, kohlrabi is a member of the turnip family, and it looks like a little alien head that was planted in the ground. It's delicious served raw like jicama, or it can be boiled or roasted like turnips. Either way it's fresh and crunchy with a very mild flavor in comparison to turnips.
For this vegetable slaw I peeled the kohlrabi and cut it into matchstick shapes. Then I used the peeler to cut long ribbons of the carrot. To give the slaw a sweet and tart note, I also cut a large, unpeeled Granny Smith apple into matchsticks. All the slaw ingredients got mixed together, then tossed in the bowl to be coated in the dressing.
Kohlrabi Apple Slaw |
North Woods Chops with Kohlrabi Slaw |
This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or googolplexed out to serve more
- 2 Berkshire pork chops
- 1 tbsp lard or oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 medium (lemon-sized) kohlrabi
- 1 tart apple
- 1 medium carrot
-1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Take the pork chops out of the fridge to help get the chill of the refrigerator off. Thirty minutes is ideal, if you have the time. Salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides, then grease a cold skillet with oil and lard. Place the pork chops in the skillet and turn the heat on to Medium. Let the pork chops slowly cook for 15-20 minutes in the pan, turning occasionally. Keep an eye on the pork chops and prepare the slaw.
Peel the kohlrabi and wash the carrot and apple. Slice the kohlrabi and apple into matchsticks. Using a vegetable peeler, peel long curls of carrot and mix in with the kohlrabi. In a bowl, add the apple cider vinegar, honey, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to blend, then add vegetables and toss to coat with dressing.
When pork chops are at preferred level of doneness, remove from pan and put on a plate. Add the two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the hot skillet and scrape up the browned bits and drippings. If the vinegar reduces too quickly and the pan is going dry, add a tablespoon of water. Pour the vinegar and drippings pan sauce over the pork chops. Finish by adding a pile of kohlrabi apple slaw to each plate.
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