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1.01.2010

Happy New Year's Day!

Did you know it's tradition to eat pork on New Year's Day? It makes for good luck all year, and even if it's not true WHO want's to tempt fate???

Here is an easy, beautiful pork dinner originally published last September. Wishing you health and happiness in the New Year!


It's time to begin to cook real meals again. The weather is getting a little cooler and it's getting dark earlier and it makes you want to tuck into a great meal with lots of flavor. It's still football season, so it needs to be quick!

This recipe is inspired by my Cook's Illustrated Steaks, Chops, Roasts, and Ribs Cookbook. My dad calls me a "springboard cook", I can never make something exactly as written and I've included my changes here. I can say that nothing in any of my Cook's Illustrated recipes has ever steered me wrong.

I started by brining my chops (soaking them in a solution of 6 cups of water mixed with 1/2 cup kosher salt and 3/4 cup of brown sugar for 1 hour)

Rinse and pat dry, then sear on each side for 3 mins. Place into a preheated 450 degree oven for 8-10 mins and get to work on your chutney in the same pan:

1 Tbsp. oil
1 small onion, diced
2 granny smith apples, diced
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I used this combo instead of using ginger and all spice as the recipe recommends)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple juice

Heat oil in skillet and cook apples and onions for about 10 mins. Add spices and cook 1 min. Add sugar and cider and bring to a boil, scraping bits from bottom of pan, until cider is reduced and slightly thickened (about 4 minutes). Serve over chops. Mmmmmm....

To learn more about Cook's Illustrated magazine or cookbooks just click here.

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Around here luck for the new year means Pork & sauerkraut. Mine is cooking as we speak. It's a Pennsylvania Dutch thing.

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  2. Jennifer~ Does split pea soup with ham count? Although...I'd rather be dinning on those pork chops. You should consider participating in Gollums Foodie Fridays.
    Don't you wonder how the combination of apples and chops came to be. If you know how, let me know.

    I have to tell you how much Hubby and I thoroughly enjoy your Sunday Funny. Keep em' comin'!

    Sweet wishes,
    Sara

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  3. P.S. I forgot to mention I'd never heard the term "springboard cook".
    It describes me to a tee. It's a bit of a challenge to create a hard copy recipe, cause it's usually a dash of this or a pinch of that to taste.
    I've never taken a recipe or box mix and whip it up according to the directions. I guess that's why I like experimenting with new recipes...I never know what surprise the end result will bring.

    Sweet wishes,
    Sara

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  4. My goodness, that sounds delicious!
    Happy New Year to you and yours.

    XO*T

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  5. I'm the same type of cook as you are! My husband boasts to his friends that I have never made the same meal twice... which in a way is too true~

    I'm going to look up this recipe! I've been a CI member for years and love them. Their pumpkin cheesecake is one of the recipes that I love! Thanks for this one!

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  6. I love Cook's Illustrated! Their recipes have never steered me wrong...and now I'm hungry! :)

    Happy New Year! :)

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  7. Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

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  8. Hmmm. We might be in for a rough year because we have always had corned beef and cabbage on New Year's! Oh wait...we had a little bacon in the potatoes! Does that count?! :)

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  9. Cook's Illustrated has been teaching me how to cook for about 4 months now. :) Oh, and my sister and her boyfriend make your ribs ALL THE TIME! He swears they are the best ribs ever! I really need to make these asap!

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