Pork Chops and Applesauce

By Christopher

Gourmet | September 2003
yield: Makes 4 to 8 servings
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Ingredients

• For pork chops
• • 2 cups milk
• • 3 teaspoons salt
• • 8 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops (with or without bone; 2 lb total)
• • 3 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (from 10 slices firm white sandwich bread, ground in a food processor)
• • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• • 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• For applesauce
• • 3 lb mixed McIntosh and Gala apples
• • 1/4 cup water
• • 3 tablespoons sugar
• • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• • 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

Step 1

Marinate pork chops:
Stir together milk and 2 teaspoons salt in a shallow 3-quart dish, then add pork chops. Marinate, covered and chilled, turning over once, at least 1 hour.
Make applesauce while chops marinate:
Peel, core, and coarsely chop apples, then stir together with remaining applesauce ingredients in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and mash apples with a fork. Keep applesauce warm, covered.
Fry pork chops:
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Stir together bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and remaining teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.
Lift pork chops from milk 1 at a time, letting excess drip off, and dredge in bread crumbs, lightly patting crumbs to help adhere, then transfer to a tray, arranging in 1 layer.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté pork chops in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, turning over once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer as cooked to a platter and keep warm in oven. (Add more oil and butter to skillet as needed.)
Serve pork chops with applesauce.
Cooks' notes:•Pork chops can be marinated in milk up to 4 hours.
•Applesauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before serving.