Pork with apples & toasted walnuts
4 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| ½ | cup | Walnuts -- broken | 
| 4 | Pork loin chops -- each 1 | |
| Inch thick | ||
| Salt and freshly ground | ||
| Pepper | ||
| ⅓ | cup | Apple juice | 
| 2 | tablespoons | Brandy | 
| 1 | Clove garlic -- minced | |
| ¾ | teaspoon | Fresh thyme -- finely | 
| Chopped | ||
| ½ | pounds | Tart green apples -- cored; | 
| Sliced 1/4\" | ||
Directions
1. In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, toast walnuts 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and set aside. 
2. Season chops with salt and pepper to taste. Trim a piece of fat from the edge of one chop. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, heat fat until lightly browned, using a spoon to press and rub fat over bottom of skillet to grease it well. Discard fat and increase heat to high.
3. Add chops; brown quickly on both sides. Pour excess fat, if any, from skillet.
4. Add apple juice, brandy, garlic, thyme, and apples to pan. 
5. Cover pan and cook over medium-low heat 5 to 8 minutes. To test for doneness, cut into a chop; it should be tender, juicy, and slightly pink. If pork is done and apples are still crunchy, remove pork to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue to cook apples until they are tender.
6. Stir walnuts into sauce in pan. Pour walnut-apple sauce over chops. 
Serve chops immediately.
Recipe By     : the California Culinary Academy