Ingredients

The following ingredients have 3 Servings
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 2 apples (preferably Gala, halved or quartered and cored)
  • 3/4 cup apple cider (or more or less to taste)
  • 6 leaves kale (preferably lacinato or dinosaur kale)
  • Olive oil
  • Two (8-ounce) center-cut boneless pork chops
  • Salt
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • A drizzle cider vinegar

Instruction

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F (191°C).
  • In a 9-by-12-inch (23-by-30-centimeters) baking dish, place the mashed potatoes in a pile. Next to them place the apples, cut side up. Brush both with the oil. Pour the apple cider into the dish and turn to coat the apples. Bake until the apples begin to turn tender, at least 10 minutes and quite possibly as much as 20 minutes. They may begin to puff (don't worry, they won't explode, although they will eventually deflate).
  • Meanwhile, rinse the kale leaves and pat them completely dry. (And when we say "completely dry," we mean all the way dry. If the kale isn't dry, it won't crisp properly.) Drizzle each leaf with a couple of drops of olive oil and, using your hands, rub to completely coat the leaf.
  • Pat the pork chops completely dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a 9-inch (23-centimeter) heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add just enough oil to slick the surface of the skillet. Add the chops and sear, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat.
  • Remove the baking pan from the oven, push the apples to the side, and add the seared chops. Place the kale leaves in a single layer on top of the chops and potatoes and apples and return the pan to the oven to roast until the kale is dark green and begins to crisp at the edges and the pork chops are cooked through, 7 to 12 minutes.
  • When the chops are done, the apples are tender, the kale crisp, and the potatoes warmed through, plate them and spoon the cider over the chops and apples. Drizzle some cider vinegar over everything. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve with beer, preferably a hoppy IPA. Friends, all is good in this world.