I make this a lot. We love pork in our house, and as it is one of the in-expensive meat to buy, it has got me through times when I really had to crunch my budget a bit.
As much as pork is absolutely lovely when you just pan fry it, throw over bit of gravy and side with mash… you really get bored of just doing the same thing. I am very lucky that my kids dont mind to try new things. As long as I say that the sauce is “Mammy made gravy”, they are willing to try it. If I mention that it is sauce what is not Ketchup, I have to more likely deal with some resistance.
I love my meet juicy but I also love good sauce. The thing with good sauce is, that you could add it next day to the left over potatoes or eat it with crusty bread as a lunch or snack between meals. Good gravy or sauce is like MUST have in my cooking.
As is this sauce. The cider makes and apples gives it nearly the sourness to it, add nice amount of salt and it balances out the sweetness. When you take on the pork fat and the sauce, it literally melts. With slightly firm boiled baby potatoes and added baby sweetcorn crunch – you got cheap meal a’la restaurant worthy rating. Tried and tested and family favorite.
Ingredients (feeds 4 people)
10-12 baby potatoes (homegrown are the best)
2 tbls of Butter
2 tbls of olive oil
4 pork chops
1-2 eating apples peeled and sliced up
200ml cider
100ml sour cream
chopped sage
Baby corn
Directions
Bring the water to boil in the sauce pan and put your potatoes to simmer. While potatoes simmer (approx 20-25 minutes) you will cook the meat and the sauce.
Melt the butter and oil on the large frying pan. Pan should fit all your pork on it. When butter has melted and is bubbly, add the pork chops. salt and pepper the pork, while it sizzles on the pan, let it cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Turn the pork and add another bit of salt and pepper.
Turn sides again, add the apples and sage and cook either sides again for one minute. Now add cider and sour cream. Cook further minute, then remove pork from the pan and set aside. You don’t want to over cook the pork as it gets very dry. If pork is still soft to touch, it is perfect. You could also remove it little earlier, but letting it simmer little bit in the cider help with the juices inside the pork.
Simmer the sauce until it is little thicker. You could add a 1 tsp of flour or corn flour to it, but with sour cream it is not always necessary. Really depend on the amount of cider has been added to the sauce and consistency of the sauce.
Strain your potatoes, arrange pork and potatoes to your plate, pour over the sauce – make sure to add apples from the sauce. Add some more sage to garnish, arrange some baby corn on the side and enjoy your family dinner.
Happy cooking!
MissAnnulaLaLand 