Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Rachel Ray's Maple-Mustard Pork with Grilled Apples


It's Rachel Ray week! We've got a fantastic recipe here. The original recipe calls for pork chops, which you grill on a grill pan over the stove and then finish in the oven. I made it with pork tenderloin instead, and I baked it at 500 degrees for 20 minutes.

The pork was moist, sweet and savory, and the grilled apples complimented it perfectly. This is a dish I can easily make again and again on a busy week night. It only took 30 minutes. :)

The recipe can be found on page 60 of Rachel Ray's Classic 30 Minute Meals cookbook.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dark amber maple syrup
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard (I used dijon)
1/4 c apple cider
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
8 center-cut boneless pork loin chops (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Grill seasoning blend such as Montreal Seasoning by McCormick OR salt and pepper to taste
3 Golden Delicious apples, sliced across into 1/2 inch rounds, with core and peel intact
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg

Preheat a grill or griddle pan over medium heat. Also preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the maple syrup, mustard, cider, onion, allspice and cumin in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes so the sauce thickens.

Coat the chops with evoo and grill seasoning/salt and pepper. Cook on the grill pan for 3 minutes on each side. Then baste the chops with your sauce and cook 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet and baste again with sauce. Finish cooking in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

While the chops are in the oven, coat apples with lemon juice and a drizzle of evoo. Season with the grill seasoning or salt/pepper and the nutmeg. Grill apples on the grill pan for about 3 minutes on each side. You will have to do this in batches. You don't want apples too soft; just tender.

Serve apples next to the pork chops.

0 comments: