The best from Lidia Bastianich!
ingredients
OVEN-BRAISED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES, ONIONS, AND DRIED CHERRIES
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 center-cut bone-in pork chops (about 1 1/4-inches thick, about 3 pounds total)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (divided)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic (crushed and peeled)
2 medium onions (each cut into 6 wedges through the root end)
2 large Golden Delicious apples (peeled, cored and cut into 6 wedges)
8 large fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 sprig rosemary (to garnish)
directions
Preheat oven 425ºF. Put the cherries and wine in a bowl, and let the cherries soak 10 minutes to soften.
Season the pork chops with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chops and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
Add the garlic. Once it is sizzling, tuck the onions and apples into the spaces around the chops, and cook, moving them around as needed, until golden, about 5 minutes. Scatter the sage leaves in the spaces in the pan, and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Stir the vinegar and honey into the cherries and wine, and pour this into the pan. Bring to a simmer, and put the skillet on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake, turning the chops, apples, and onions twice during baking, until the pork is cooked through and the juices have reduced to a glaze, about 20 minutes.
To serve, remove the chops to a platter or plates. If the juices are still too thin, reduce them on the stove a bit. Spoon the glazed apples and onions over the chops, and serve with a sprig of rosemary.
Tip: Change it up! Try using pears or plums instead of apples for a tasty twist on this classic combination!
