Pork chops smothered with apple cider
The cheesesteak may be Philadelphia's most famous export, but pork chops (a Pennsylvania Dutch staple) have been satisfying native Philadelphians ever since the Amish brought their horse-drawn carriages to Lancaster County. To that end, you can buy amazing pork chops at any of the Pennsylvania Dutch vendors at Reading Terminal Market. (You can also buy pork chops at Fresh Grocer. Pester the butcher if you don't see them on the shelves.)
Ingredients: 4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick Vegetable oil 2 slices pork bacon 1 large onion 2 teaspoons sugar 2 bay leaves (optional) Thyme - 1 sprig fresh or 1 teaspoon dried 1 1?2 cups apple cider 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons cider vinegar Salt and pepper
Directions: Pour oil in the pan and turn burner on medium-high. Pat pork chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chops in pan. While chops cook, thinly slice the onion - fast slicing means fewer tears. Pork chops should be brown and crispy on the side touching the pan after about four minutes. Take them out of the pan and put on a plate. Don't turn the burner off! Tear the bacon into little pieces and add it to the same pan. Stir for about 2 minutes until it sizzles, then add the onion, sugar, bay leaves, thyme and a sprinkle of salt. Stir for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Pour the cider into the pan, and try to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom. (This is called deglazing, it makes the sauce better and the pan easier to clean.) Put the chops back in the pan, brown side up. Partially cover them with onion, and turn the heat down a notch. Cover the pan, and cook 5-10 minutes until the center of the chops are a tiny bit pink. Take the chops out of the sauce, put on a plate and cover with tinfoil. Turn the heat on the sauce back up. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and mustard together with 2 tablespoons of water, then slowly stir the contents of the bowl into the sauce. Mix for two minutes, take out the bay leaves, add in vinegar and sprinkle on the salt and pepper liberally. Pour sauce over chops, serve and wait for the compliments to come pouring in.
