Slow-Roasted Apple and Onion Pork Chops

This has been a weird week for me. I am all caught up in myself and dealing with it by self-medicating with Netflix and cooking and snuggling with my sweet dog. These sort of gray-ish days have only two cures-long walks with the husband and dog in the evenings, and some healthy comfort food.

As expected, last night was not a spring food night for me. I woke up craving these succulent apple and onion slow-roasted pork chops I made a few weeks ago, and decided to revert back to fall cooking for a night. I am so grateful that I did. To liven these up a little, we ate them with some fresh, crisp green beans and a delicious side of experimental Apple Cinnamon Baked Quinoa (recipe will be posted separately tomorrow). All around, this was a great dinner with minimal prep time and skill involved. A note on the pork chop recipe-this is something I have borrowed from Mel over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe ( a great go-to recipe blog that never fails me!). I have made this several times now, and I just can't get enough of it. So get yourself some beautiful pork chops and make some already!

These chops are soft as butter. You don't even need a knife to cut them. Just let your fork gently break them apart as you struggle not to inhale the whole thing. They taste like apple and brown sugar and sweet onion. I haven never had pork as tender as this. I've had and made many a tough pork chop in my life. This recipe will leave you wanting seconds and thirds. This recipe is no-fail, and incredibly delicious, and made from whole, natural foods.



Preheat your oven to 325. Start with a few beautiful boneless pork chops (you could do bone-in if you would like. I just prefer boneless). Season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Set them aside for a few minutes.

Gather a few apples. I used three tart Granny Smith Apples and a Gala. Peel and slice the apples. I used my nifty apple peeler/corer/slicer that my mom send me back in the fall. I definitely recommend having one of these. It makes pie-baking and other apple recipes a cinch.

Slice and peel those apples up. Admire your handiwork for a minute. I tasted a few slices, just for good measure. Set them aside.

Grab a large onion, white, yellow or red will work just fine. Peel and slice the onion. You can chop this into pretty large pieces. I just cut it on half and them into 1/4 inch slices.

Get a large baking dish out. A 9x13 works perfectly, but I used a smaller round one since I was only making three chops. Layer the apples over the onions in the pan. 

Sprinkle 1/3 cup of brown sugar over the apples, and place the pork chops on top of them. Cover the entire pan tightly with a double layer of foil.

Bake in the oven, covered tightly, for three hours at 325 degrees. Don't open the oven, and do not lift the foil. It is essential that the moisture stay trapped in the pan to ensure the chops are oh-so-tender and delicious. The apples and onions will caramelize with the sugar and natural juices, and you will be left with one heck of a tender and flavorful dinner!

Serve your chops with the apple and onion spooned over the top, and with a side of fresh veggies. We used crisp green beans. These are also great with mashed potatoes! The other dish in the small ramekin in this picture is the Apple Cinnamon Baked Quinoa. I'll post that one up tomorrow. 

Delicious, inexpensive and natural. Total prep time-10 minutes or less, and you can walk away while the chops are cooking. What more could you and your family ask for? Enjoy!

Slow-Roasted Apple and Onion Pork Chops

Ingredients

-4 boneless pork chops

-4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

-One onion, peeled and sliced

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Peel and slice onion. Scatter over bottom of large baking dish.

4. Peel, core and slice apples. Scatter over onions.

5. Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar over onions and apples.

6. Place pork chops on top of the brown sugar.

7. Cover tightly with foil and bake for three hours at 325 degrees. Do not open oven or lift foil.

8. Serve with the apples and onions spooned over the pork chop, paired with fresh veggies, mashed potatoes, and possibly some Apple Cinnamon Baked Quinoa.