Growing up, we ate a lot of pork – not the pork of today for sure – but I loved it.  That love of pork has carried on and with the ability not to cook it to death it is still one of my favorite foods.  This week’s offering is the perfect meal for a cold winter’s day.  It is hearty and warming with the flavors of the best German cooking down to the caraway seeds in the cabbage.

I like thick, boneless pork chops for easy eating.  I know more flavor is supposed if you leave the bone in, but maybe I have just become lazy as time goes by.  I also like browning them in a hot pan and then transferring them to the oven to finish cooking so they stay nice and juicy.  The key to searing well is to get the pan and oil really hot but not smoking.  This also keeps the meat from sticking to the pan.  By searing off in a really hot pan, the pork not only gets an inviting brown on it, but it absorbs less oil.  Because the pan is going to be heated really hot, I use an uncoated pan as non-stick pans cannot take really, really hot temperatures without harming their finish.

The mustard dill sauce is the perfect finish for the pork.  The use of dill pickles in the sauce is an unusual ingredient that adds  great depth of flavor. Continue reading Pork Chops with Mustard Dill Sauce, Braised Cabbage and Cinnamon Apples