Apples are part and parcel of the Fall season, aren’t they? Just as much as pumpkins and scarecrows, apples put me in mind of warm, cozy sweaters and changing leaves. Apples are a big deal here in north Georgia. Before we moved here, I never realized how many apple orchards there are in this area. On most any October weekend, you’ll find the roads around here swarming with folks headed to the apple orchards. It’s so much fun to take the whole family to pick your own and it gets everyone out in the fresh air for a day!
And, of course, everybody has their favorite apple. They can spend hours debating the best taste, best texture, best apple for specific uses. You probably have a favorite as well, right? Well, please let me introduce you to a new variety that just might make you leave your old favorite behind. The SweeTango!
SweeTango is a cross between Honeycrisp and Zestar! and is available for a limited “short and sweet season” in the Fall. That’s right, you can’t get these apples all year round, September through November only. I saw them for the first time in my Publix grocery store last weekend. They’re available right now all around the Atlanta area at places like Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Fresh Market, and at the DeKalb Farmers Market. So if you want to give them a try, now’s your opportunity. The growers of these wonderful apples sent me some to try and I’m telling you, this is my new favorite apple. It’s crispy, juicy, sweet, and spicy all in one. It even has a hint of citrus. Just amazing.
To celebrate the SweeTango season, the growers partnered with chefs Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook of Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles to create several recipes featuring the SweeTango apple including this one for Pork Chops with Apple Puree. This is a quick and easy recipe that will appeal to everyone in your family. I’ve adapted the chefs’ recipe a bit for home cooking and have noted my changes in parenthesis below. Enjoy! And watch for a giveaway and chance to enter a national sweepstakes in next week’s posts!
Beautiful SweetTango apples!
Core, peel and dice the apples.
Place the peeled and diced apples along with the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until apples are soft and the liquid is reduced (about 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, mix the vinegar, oil, and shallot in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Add the butter and oil to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the pork chops.
Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through (internal temperature should be 160 degrees).
Serve the chops topped with SweeTango apple puree and dress with apple vinaigrette.
Enjoy!
Yields 4 servings
Perfectly pan-seared pork chops served with apple puree topped with shallot vinaigrette.
20 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb. SweeTango apples, peeled and diced
- 1 1/2 cups sugar (1/3 cup)
- 3 cups water (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup apple lovage vinegar (1/4 cup apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 tblsp diced shallot
- 2 pork chops, thin (4 thick center cut pork loin chops)
- (Salt and pepper)
- (1 tblsp. butter)
- (1 tblsp. canola oil)
Instructions
- Place the peeled and diced apples along with the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until apples are soft and the liquid is reduced (about 20 minutes).
- Meanwhile, mix the vinegar, oil, and shallot in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Add the butter and oil to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the pork chops. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through (internal temperature should be 160 degrees).
- Finish the apple puree by blending until smooth, or for a chunkier puree simply stir with a fork.
- Serve the chops topped with SweeTango apple puree and dress with apple vinaigrette.
Notes
Original recipe developed by Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook of Animal Restaurant, Los Angeles.
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Other apple recipes you might enjoy from around the internet:
- Apple Dumplings from Brown Eyed Baker
- Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies from Just a Taste
- Apple and Honey Challah from Smitten Kitchen
- Apple Pie Bread from My Baking Addiction
- Perfect Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples from Inspired Taste
- Old Fashioned Apple Pie from Simply Recipes
What I was up to…
- One year ago: Grilled Cheese Florentine
- Two years ago: Sausage and Kale Soup
- Three years ago: Spicy White Bean Dip
- Four years ago: Simple Grilled Fish
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