Pork chops and applesauce have come a long way since Bobby Brady did his best Humphrey Bogart. And boy, they still are swell! I’m so sorry I continue to date myself with pop-culture references, but, I just can’t help it!

Regardless if you get the reference or not, I’m pretty sure if you have one bite of these sweet and savory pork chops, you won’t be able to help yourself either! I’ve updated the traditional American dish with a more mature flavor profile, including a heavenly blend of caramelized apples, onions, shallots, all bathed in dark rum. But don’t worry, we didn’t go too “adult” on you. We added a nice Ritz Cracker breading to bring you back to those days when you would get off the school bus into the chilly air and run home in anticipation of the welcoming smell of dinner wafting through the house. I’ve been longing for some of those slow-cooked meals that are made with precious time and lots of love. I really hope you’ll try and enjoy this dish – it sure is swell!

Ingredients

Breading

  • 10 Crushed Ritz Crackers
  • 1 Cup Flour
  • 3/4 Cup Brown sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 Sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 Cup apple cider

Roasted Pork Chops

  • 4 “Thick as you can find them” bone-in pork chops (I used 2 1/2 inch thick chops)
  • 1 1/2 Sweet apples (Fuji, Gala, etc.) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1/2  Sweet onion
  • 4 Tablespoons dark rum
  • 4 Tablespoons apple cider
  • 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • Sprig of rosemary
  • Salt and pepper

Caramelized Apples, Onions, and Rum Sauce

  • 1 1/2 Sliced, peeled, and cored sweet apples
  • 1/2 A sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Sliced shallot
  • 1 Stick salted butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of “Better Than Bouillon“
  • 1/4 Of dark rum

Mashed Potatoes

  • Whatever potatoes your heart desires! I used the little red potatoes that steam right in the bag. It saved the time of having to cut and boil!
  • Tablespoon of “Better Than Bouillon” (I think this bouillon is the bee’s knees! Just add a little scoop for loads of flavor. I used the chicken flavor.)
  • 1/2 Stick of salted butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Breading

  1. Crush Ritz crackers and put them into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add flour, brown sugar, pepper, and salt.
  3. Mix all ingredients and set aside.

Roasted Pork Chops

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325.
  2. Melt unsalted butter in a pan, add apple cider. NOTE: Keep more butter and cider close, you’ll need to keep adding it to the pan.
  3. Roll those chunky pink chops around in the flour until they are covered with that sweet and peppery powder.
  4. Gently place the chop in the sizzling butter and cider on medium heat.
  5. Rotate the chop in the pan until the entire plump little pork is nice and golden. Set aside in a dish. 😉
  6. As you are cooking, butter-soaked crumbs will stick to the pan. Scoop them up and put them into a mason jar or measuring cup, as well as with some of the fluid. They will help us make a nice tasty roux for our sauce!
  7. Continue to add butter and cider to the pan as needed.
  8. Once all of the pork chops have a nice golden coated tan, repeat steps 3 through 7.
  9. Continue removing the little pieces of coating that are left in the pan, as well as the liquid.
  10. When all the chops have been double dipped, add a little bit of dark rum to the pan to help lift any remaining pieces. Add to the mason jar.
  11. Line a roasting pan with the sliced onions, apples, and shallots. NOTE: I feel a little guilty cheating, but not that guilty! We used a disposable pan to avoid the messy clean-up at the end of our cooking session.
  12. Sprinkle the pan with rosemary, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
  13. Place the pork chops on top of the apples and onions, then add another layer of apples and onions to the top of the chops.
  14. Sprinkle with a little more brown sugar, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and then dash a few tablespoons of rum and cider evenly over the chops.
  15. Cover with tinfoil and pop into the oven for 3 hours. No peeking! We want to seal in all of that flavor and goodness.
  16. When the pork chops are done, remove them from the pan using tongs (not thongs hahaha.) Sorry, I’m a bit delirious from the second snow day in under a week.
  17. Set aside onions, apples, and juices for the sauce.

Caramelized Apple, Onion, and Rum Sauce

  1. After the chops have been cooking for 2 hours, melt salted butter in a pan on low heat.
  2. Add thinly sliced and peeled apples and onions.
  3. Toss in a chopped shallot.
  4. Cover and let cook on low heat, stirring occasionally. NOTE: When caramelizing anything, be careful not to let the heat get too high; otherwise it will burn. Caramelizing is a slow and low, but glorious, cooking process.
  5. Once the onions and apples are tender and a lovely shade of tan, add the collection from the bottom of the roasting pan.
  6. Add the bouillon.
  7. Scoop out the bits and pieces we collected when browning the pork chops, add to the pan
  8. Stir continuously.
  9. After about 1/2 of the liquid has reduced 1/2 way, add ¼ cup of dark rum.
  10. Keep on stirring and reduce the sauce until it’s the lovely consistency of gravy. We admit it’s not exactly pretty, but man is it yummy!

Mashed Potatoes

  1. Boil and peel the potatoes of your choice. NOTE: I used these fantastic little potatoes that steamed right into the bag. (I’m all about reducing the dishes on days like these.)
  2. I then used a potato ricer to guarantee I wouldn’t have any lumps in my potatoes! I did have to scoop out the skins occasionally. But, no biggie.
  3. Add a little bit of bouillon.
  4. Add butter and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Mix! NOTE: Feel free to add a little bit of cream. But keep in mind, that can make the potatoes runny. Cream cheese is a pretty awesome addition too!

Now all you have to do is serve on your favorite dinner plate, sit down, and enjoy! We hope you think it’s swell. 😉