The Christmas after 9/11 I asked for a set of cast iron frying pans. Kind of a bizarre request coming from a 20 year old but I had really gotten into hiking and backpacking and discovered how great cast iron is from hanging out on the trails. My mom cooks in a cast iron skillet and always has so it wasn't that weird sounding to her and that is exactly what I got that year. Not some Cast Iron Lodge skillet that you can go get at any big box store. These skillets were kind of rusty, needed to be seasoned and probably hadn't seen the light of day in 20 years. In other words- PERFECT. Iron skillets just keep getting better with age if you treat them right. Problem was that I was in college in Alabama and had to fly these skillets up to school with me. Back then, just six weeks after the disaster, the list of things you couldn't take on an airplane was about a mile long. I crept in line up towards security wondering what the heck I'd do with them if they said no and struggled to get a duffel with my two skillets onto the belt. You can bet they got flagged. After a very lengthy discussion which included pretty much every TSA person in the Orlando airport they let them through- apparently "skillets" were not on the banned list and although they make a good weapon nobody else had tried to bring one through there so mine passed. I love my skillet and now that Matt has learned how great cast iron is so does he. If you have a cast iron skillet use it to make these. If not cook them in the heaviest pan you have (a dutch oven works pretty well) low and slow.
INGREDIENTS
4 pork chops
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (OMIT if you used sweet applesauce)
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Salt, pepper and garlic your pork chops. You can used bone in or a center cut.
2. Drizzle some olive oil in your skillet and turn the heat to medium high. Drop in the chops and let them get a brown crust on the outside then flip (about 3-4 min) and do the same on the other side.
3. Mix the applesauce, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar (if adding). Pour on top of chops and cover with lid. Turn heat to low for 3-4 min then flip chops. Done! NOTE: Reserve the liquid to cook your parmesan broccoli.
PREP TIME: 2 min
COOK TIME: 20 min
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| Courtesy Food Network |
PARMESAN BROCCOLI
INGREDIENTS:
1 bag frozen broccoli
Parmesan (shredded is better)
Bread Crumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Steam a bag of broccoli. Toss the broccoli into the juices from your pork chops. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss in a handful of breadcrumbs and handful of parmesan. Cook 2-3 min.
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