Crock Pot Adventures: Pork Chops with Apples & Onions

As an enthusiastic cook and eater, many of the holiday/birthday/special occasion gifts I receive are cooking/food-related. (Thankfully, the other major gift category (lululemon) helps facilitate activities that a) support a hearty appetite for all my cooking/eating and b) ensures I look semi pulled together while doing my CrossFit coaching duties at the gym.) The past has brought a bevy of cookbooks, salts of all varieties, aprons, and tools for modernist cooking, if I am so inclined. This year brought some new playthings: a shitake mushroom log –the perfect gift, as it has long been on my list of things to try, but never quite made it to the “buy now” category–and some salt-free spice blends from Penzeys. As I constantly read other bloggers rhapsodize about their spices, it is quite exciting to finally get to try them.

While the mushroom log is shelved until we get some warmer temps, I quickly put the spices to use. Channeling my Bavarian heritage, I whipped up a super easy and cold-weather appropriate dish of pork chops with apples and onions. Prep time took about 10 minutes, and hours later I had beautiful, tender pork chops with meat falling off the bone. I went full German and served this with a braised cabbage recipe from the Primal Blueprint Cookbook (while the recipe worked well, it yielded cabbage a little smooshy (technical term) for my tastes). Enjoy!

Pork Chops with Apples & Onions
Serves 2

• 2 bone-in pork chops (or bone out, whatever)
• 1-2 t. Penzeys Bavarian style seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Smoked paprika (I used hot) – about 1/2 t.
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 apples, coarsely chopped (I used one Stayman and one Golden Delicious)
• ~4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 c. chicken broth
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar

1. Mix together onions, apples, and garlic in bottom of crock pot. Mix balsamic vinegar with chicken broth and pour over apple and onions.
2. Coat pork chops with Bavarian seasoning, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Lay on top of apples/onions.
3. Cook on high 4-6 hours (or low for about 8). Serve with side dishes of choice and enjoy!

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