Caraway-Dusted Pork Chops With Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage & Apples

By ltrodrigu

Chefs at New York's La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels amp up the classic combo of caraway and cabbage with a tart apple-cider glaze. The result is a perfect match for pan-seared pork chops.

Ingredients

• 8 slices thick cut, smoked country-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops
• Salt
• 2 handfuls ground caraway seeds, plus 1/2 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
• Olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 head cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium apple, diced

Details

Adapted from online.wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cook bacon:
In a lidded saucepan over medium-low heat, cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave bacon fat in pan.

Meanwhile, generously season pork chops with salt and ground caraway, coating both sides. Heat oil in a sauté pan over high heat. When oil shimmers, add chops to pan and decrease heat to medium-high. (If pan is not wide enough to hold all 4 chops, cook in batches.) Sear chops until browned on one side, 5 minutes. Remove chops from pan and place on an oil-slicked baking sheet, seared side up. Place baking sheet in oven. Cook to medium doneness, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and tent with foil to keep warm. Chops should rest 5 minutes before serving.

While pork cooks, make sweet-and-sour cabbage and apples:
Toast caraway seeds in pan with bacon fat over medium-low heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and sweat until softened, 4 minutes. Add cabbage and season with salt, then stir to coat with fat. Partially cover pan with lid and let sweat, stirring frequently, until cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes. Add apple cider and apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add apples, stir, cover with lid and reduce heat to medium. Cook until soft, 2 minutes. Occasionally check on vegetables to make sure there is still liquid in pan.

Place 1 chop on each plate. Serve cabbage and apples alongside chops, topped with crispy bacon.