One of my favorite sources of Tuscan recipes is a delightful book entitled, "A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany." The author describes one-day trips to different areas of Tuscany. She found wonderful small eateries and chose delicious dishes from each.
One nice and easy recipe is Pork Chops with Apples - Costolette di Maiale alle Mele. This recipe is from Ristorante Pizzica in Campiglia Marittima, which is south of Livorno near the Tuscan coast.
This recipe is not only easy to make, but can easily be scaled up or down to serve different numbers of diners. This version serves six.
Ingredients
- 3 slightly tart green apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into half-inch widths
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- s tablespoons cognac
- 3 tablespoons cream
- 6 thick pork chops
- salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan and sauté the apples until just soft and browned.
- Throw in the cognac and allow to evaporate for a minute.
- Add the cream, cook for another minute, and remove from heat.
- Salt and pepper the pork chops, and brush with the remaining olive oil.
- Either grill or fry the pork chops, and serve with the apples and their sauce.
The way that I generally cook pork chops is as follows:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet or grill pan
- Heat the olive oil on the stove over medium-high heat
- Put the pork chops into the skillet, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side (turn the pork chops over with tongs, not a fork.)
- Put the skillet in the oven and cook for 4-5 minutes
- Remove the skillet from the oven, using oven-safe gloves or other protection to hold the skillet.
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