At my dinner table, the flavors of fall usually revolve around some combination of pork, fennel, and apples - a serendipitous trifecta of. They're a combination that I find simple to prepare and a consistently delicious hit, even with a quick preparation like this one.

Recipe courtesy of Patrick Decker

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Total:: 30 min
Active:: 10 min

Yield:: 4 servings

Level:: Easy

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6- to 8-ounce) bone-in pork chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 small bulb fennel, bulb and stalks thinly sliced, fronds roughly chopped, divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whiskey, optional
1 firm apple (such as Granny Smith or Mutsu), grated

Directions

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper and sear in the pan until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chops to a plate and let them rest.

Return the same skillet to medium heat and add in the fennel, onion and caraway seeds. Saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to tenderize, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mustard, vinegar and whiskey (if using) and continue cooking until the liquids have mostly reduced, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated apple and reserved fennel fronds; adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.

Serve the pork chops over the warm fennel-apple slaw.

Cook's Note

Grating the apple is a great way to save time when preparing this dish, especially since we're looking more for the flavor than the texture. Run it over the large holes of a box grater or through a food processor fitted with a grater attachment, just be careful not to do it more than a few minutes before adding it to the pan as the cut apple will begin to turn brown.

Recipe courtesy Patrick Decker

My Private Notes

Name: Pork Chops with Warm Fennel-Apple Slaw
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H10M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 (6- to 8-ounce) bone-in pork chops (about 3/4-inch thick); Salt and fresh ground black pepper; 1 small bulb fennel, bulb and stalks thinly sliced, fronds roughly chopped, divided; 1 medium onion, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 1 tablespoon grainy mustard; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon whiskey, optional; 1 firm apple (such as Granny Smith or Mutsu), grated