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Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Cabbage (Review)

Yeah, I know, that doesn't sound very exciting does it? Well, when you combine two great recipes, it turns out even the mundane can be awesome!


First, let me say that any recipe that asks me to sauté chopped shallots and fresh herbs in pan drippings is a good recipe. Oh, and there's of course butter in them there pan juices.

The pork chops were "Pan-Roasted Berkshire Pork Chops with Vermont Ice Cider" (173) from The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook by Tracy Medeiros. For copyright reasons, I can't produce the recipe here, but suffice it to say, the secrets here are the bone-in chops (with fat), shallots (of course), fresh herbs, and then ice cider for the sauce. The first time I made these I used Neige ice cider that I picked up in Québec, but this time I stayed closer to home with the very lovely "dessert cider" ("Pommeau") from Carr's Ciderhouse in Massachusetts. They are apparently sold out of it for the year, so now I'm regretting finishing the bottle. The Carr's Pommeau provided a really lovely rich addition to the sauce. Unless the chops are really thick, the browning/oven time seems just a tad too much, but I have to take into account that I tented them for quite some time while I made...

"Sautéed Savoy Cabbage with Bacon"

Except that I didn't. Not really. I hate when people cite recipes and then say "but I substituted practically every ingredient and changed it and here is my review!" Let's say I let Ina Garten's recipe (page 169 of Cook Like a Pro) *inspire* me because I had bacon and leftover regular cabbage in the fridge that I needed to use. Suffice it to say, if you take the time to slice the cabbage thinly, this recipe will work with any kind of cabbage (including red/green). I am eager to try it with the Savoy because I know it will impart a more delicate flavor, but the thinly sliced red cabbage (with some green) worked well here. Instead of draining off some of the bacon fat in the pan, I left it all there and didn't use any butter (which the recipe calls for). Also key is taking the bacon out of the pan, draining it on a paper towel, and then adding it back in just before serving. That way it keeps its crispiness.

This was a lovely winter meal, and surprisingly light (another reason to slice the cabbage very thinly).

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