Dear Customers,
Sweet and savory is a thing! We all recognize sweet on our taste buds, but how many of us really know what savory is? Savory is defined as: “full-flavored and often associated with salty or spicy”. When you combine these two tastes you create a balanced experience that makes dishes more satisfying.
I discovered this quite by accident as a boy when I combined peanut M&M’s with Doritos or popcorn at the movie theatre! The two flavors went together like, well in the words of Forrest Gump, “like peas and carrots.”
As it turns out, the human body needs to maintain certain levels of sodium and glucose to achieve peak performance! When you crave sweets, it’s your body’s way of signaling that it needs quick energy. Salt, on the other hand, calms the brain, making it a common comfort during stress.
I mentioned last week that October is known in produce circles as National Apple Month. Oddly enough, it’s also known as National Pork Month in the meat industry! What better way to celebrate both than with a recipe featuring apples and pork?
APPLE PORK CHOPS:
| 2 tbs vegetable oil | ½ cup chopped onion |
| 4 – ½ inch thick pork chops | ½ tsp table salt |
| To taste: ground black pepper | 2 apples (peeled, cored, & sliced) |
| ¾ cup hot water | 2 tbs brown sugar |
| ½ tsp ground mustard | .12 tsp ground cloves |
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion until tender, at least a minute. Remove the onion and set it aside. Brown the pork chops on both sides to seal in the juices and flavor. Place all four chops in an 9×12” baking dish and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Cover the browned chops with the apples and the cooked onions. Combine water, brown sugar, dry mustard and cloves in a small bowl, then pour over the chops, apples and onions. Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes. Pork should reach an internal temperature of 145°F to be considered done.