The Last Pork-Out
The shopping cart included hard-shell squash, potatoes, apples, pork and cabbage. I’ve come full circle. It’s the end of winter, and I’m choosing the same ingredients that launched my fall cooking.
By mid-March, I do crave spring’s delicacies, but the weather rarely cooperates. The first asparagus are spindly, and I’m not ready to diet into a swimsuit. Instead, I’m ready for a farewell-to-winter meal.
It features pork chops smothered with cabbage and apples in a sweet-piquant sauce. The recipe is inspired by Bradley Ogden, the Northern California chef and cookbook author who grew up in the Midwest and knows what to serve this time of the year. A puree of squash and potatoes is perfect with this pork dish.
GOLDEN PUREED SQUASH AND POTATOES
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 cup cooked turban or butternut squash, cut into bite-size chunks
1 large or 2 small cooked, peeled red boiling potatoes, diced
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Dash ground cinnamon
The easiest way to cook squash is to pierce the vegetable in several places with the tip of a knife and cook it in the microwave. If you use this method, the soup will come together quickly. After piercing the squash, stand it up on a paper towel in the microwave and microwave on HIGH (100% power) 10 minutes or until tender. If the microwave table doesn’t revolve, give the squash a half turn after 5 minutes.
Melt butter in medium pan. Add onion and saute until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add squash and potatoes and saute over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and cream.
Puree in food processor fitted with steel blade or in blender. Remove from food processor and season to taste with salt, pepper and cinnamon. If necessary, reheat before serving. Puree should be hot.
Makes 2 servings.
PORK CHOPS WITH CABBAGE AND APPLES
4 strips bacon
2 (6-ounce) loin butterfly pork chops
Salt, pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion ring halves
1 cup shredded cabbage, preferably savoy
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1/4 cup apple juice
2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Fry bacon in large skillet until very crisp. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. Add chops to bacon fat and brown well on both sides. Remove and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add onion to remaining bacon fat in skillet and saute over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until golden. Add cabbage, apples and thyme and saute 5 minutes or until apples and cabbage are limp. Stir in molasses and apple juice.
Make bed in cabbage for pork chops. Add chops and crumble bacon on top. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chops to 2 serving plates. If skillet juices are thin, cook over high heat 1 to 2 minutes to thicken. Stir in 2 teaspoons vinegar. Flavor should be sweet and slightly tart. If not, add additional 1 teaspoon vinegar. Season cabbage mixture with salt and pepper to taste and spoon over chops. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.