apple pork chops

“When are you going to make an apple pie?”

I was asked that question at the grocery store last week. My answer was “Soon.”

An apple pie is the first dish that came to my mind when I launched The 2012 Apple Challenge, yet I’ve kept it off the list of potential apple dishes. The purpose of this experiment is to explore the apple’s versatility. If I make the same apple recipes I’ve always made, I wouldn’t learn anything new. What’s the point of trying something different if you don’t learn from it?

(That’s not to say I love every new thing I try. Remember the celery experiment earlier this year? I’m still not a celery fan.)

Last week, I learned that you have to use a Bundt pan if a recipe specifically calls for it. If you saw the Apple Cake served with Butter Sauce recipe in my last column, you may have noticed I neglected to include what pan to bake the cake in. It’s a Bundt pan. I didn’t have one when I attempted to make the cake and, well, it wasn’t pretty.

You can read all about it on the Everybody Eats blog, but here’s a quick summary: Two days, 18 apples and the smell of two ruined cakes. It wasn’t the best way to learn a lesson, but I did – after I bought a Bundt pan.

With nearly two weeks left of National Apple Month, I’m not against baking an apple pie, but I need help. That’s where you come in.

Please send me your favorite apple pie recipe. I will select one as my final apple recipe of The 2012 Apple Challenge. The owner of the winning recipe will have the distinction of being the last apple recipe I make for a long time, plus receive a cookbook for their assistance.

All recipes should be sent to me by Oct. 26. Since I’m going to be cooking a lot of desserts later this month, here’s a dinner recipe to balance the sweetness:

Mustardy Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

• Olive oil
• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 apple peeled and slivered to same width as onion slices
• 2 tablespoons mustard (Dijon or grainy)
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple cider, apple juice or water

Add the oil to a large skillet that has a lid over medium-high heat. Brown the pork chops, about 4 minutes on each side. (They do not have to cook through.)

Remove them from the pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Add a little more oil, if necessary, and then add the onion and apples and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until they have wilted.

Add the mustard, vinegar, and cider (or juice or water) to the pan, scraping any brown pork bits from the bottom and bring to a boil for about one minute. Add pork chops back in the pan, nestling them with the onions and apples; reduce to simmer. Cover and cook another 5 minutes, until chops have cooked through. If pan-sauce is liquidy, remove chops and boil sauce for another minute.

Source: Dinner: A Love Story: It All Begins at the Family Table by Jenny Rosenstrach (Ecco; June 5, 2012)