Sunday Dinner: Grilled Boneless Pork Chops Topped with Apple-Cider-Caramelized Onions

Sunday’s Menu:

Frisée, red leaf, and mixed baby greens, cucumber, apple, bleu cheese salad, topped with a light pear-white balsamic vinaigrette

Assorted Roasted Vegetables: Fingerling Potatoes, Assorted Peppers, Broccoli and Cauliflower

Basmati rice with roasted corn, shrimp, sautéed red onion, and cilantro

and today’s recipe:

Marinated and grilled boneless pork chops, topped with a an apple-cider caramelized onion and Dijon mustard sauce

Basically I wanted to make something that this crowd (my Sunday dinner group this week!) would like—and was taking advantage of the fact that they’re all carnivores, and was thinking about what I had in my fridge (lots of apples, lettuces, peppers, apple cider, left-over shrimp from cooking gambas al ajillo on  Sat night…and more!).  I bought my bread and pork chops, and went to work: I marinated the pork chops for a few hours (super light—oil, honey balsamic, salt and pepper), and then grilled ‘em up (love the grill!).  The results were quite good! Let me know if you make them—and how you like them! (AND, though I didn't make this (Semisweet Chocolate and Coffee Brioche!) for dessert...it would make a dreamy finish!) 

This is before adding the toasted nuts and parsley! 

Grilled Pork Chops with Apple-Cider-Caramelized Onion Sauce

Serves 8 to 10

About 12 boneless pork chops (on the thick side!)

Olive oil

Honey or white balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

2 large red onions, coarsely chopped

Apple cider

White wine

Dijon mustard

1 cup raisins

Toasted almonds

Parsley for garnish

Place the chops in a shallow glass dish (for marinating!) . Whisk together about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 of vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the chops. Cover and refrigerate them.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce! In a medium-size sauté pan, heat about 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to soften, about two minutes. Start adding about 1/2 cup of apple cider to the onions, and let the cider absorb, stirring from time to time. Once it’s absorbed, add some white wine and let that soak in. Continue the apple cider adding-absorbing, until the mixture is almost a “relish” of soft onions. Add more apple cider and heat through (this time you’re not going to let it absorb!). Add the Dijon mustard to taste, the raisins, and correct the seasoning. Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium high. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and grill until well cooked, about 7 minutes on each side (actually I had my timing off, so my chops went from grill to oven…but I topped them with the sauce, and covered them, until I was ready to serve!).

Just before serving, add the toasted almonds and parsley. Be sure to have a ladle on hand to add sauce to the individual chops!