Seared Pork Chops With Apple-Fennel Slaw
Come fall, one of our favorite flavor combinations is apple, fennel and celery. Together they are bright, crunchy, fresh and have just the right amount of sweetness. In this dish, we turn the magical trifecta into a creamy slaw to pile on top of perfectly seared pork chops. While you might be tempted to buy boneless chops, give the bone-in cut a try. The bone protects the meat from the high heat and has a bit of extra fat, giving you a juicier, more flavorful final result. If you’re looking to decrease the fat in this recipe, a better way is to swap the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt.
Active time: 35 minutes Total time: 35 minutes
Seared Pork Chops With Apple-Fennel Slaw
Ingredients
- 4 (1-inch/2.5cm thick) bone-in pork chops
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
- 1/4 cup (60g) light mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 small fennel bulb, halved, cored and thinly sliced, plus 1/2 cup (2g) fennel fronds
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, quartered, cored and julienned
- 3 celery stalks, very thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1/2 cup (20g) bright green celery leaves
- 1/2 cup (9g) parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup (6g) snipped chives
Directions
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the pork chops and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chop registers 140°F (60°C), about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a work surface.
While the pork chops are resting, whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, toss the fennel and fennel fronds with the apple, celery, celery leaves, parsley and chives. Drizzle with some of the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a sharp knife, carve the pork off the bones. Cut into thick slices. Arrange the meat and bones on four plates and top generously with the fennel and apple slaw. Serve immediately, passing the remaining slaw and vinaigrette at the table.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 pork chop and about 2 cups of slaw
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 586; Total Fat: 34g; Saturated Fat: 9g; Monounsaturated Fat: 16g; Cholesterol: 175mg; Sodium: 324mg; Carbohydrate: 12g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 52g
Originally published November 2019
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