The Time is Ripe for Cooking with Apples

The Stones love when the air gets a bit crisp because that means apple season is around the corner. We head to the apple orchards near the foothills in San Bernadino to pick our fill.

I always tell the boys to find apples that are firm and crisp to the touch, free of bruises or blemishes. Whether on the counter or in the refrigerator, it’s best to store apples away from other fruit as they promote the ripening of neighboring produce. Keep them in their own bowl, paper bag, or crisper bin.

From salads to dessert, from raw to baked, apples are incredibly versatile. Like anything else, choosing an apple variety is a matter of preference, but I find Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious varieties the most versatile for cooking and baking. They have just what I’m looking for in terms of texture and balance of tart and sweetness.

Pork and apples are a classic combination and make for a perfect autumnal supper. Sweet potatoes have a texture like an apple and are so nutritious, it just gives the dish a little something extra. To achieve a perfect sear of your pork chop, start with a hot pan and make sure your proteins are free of any excess moisture.

There’s nothing quite like a bowl of piping hot Cast-Iron Apple Crumble on a chilly autumn day. What nobody will tell you about crumble is that it’s one of the easiest desserts to make. The key to a delicious crumble is great fruit — whatever is in season.

Seared Pork Chops with Roasted Apples and Sweet Potatoes

(Makes 4 servings)

4 boneless pork chops, ½-inch thick

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 Fuji apples, cored and each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges

¾ cup apple cider or juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Remove pork from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while oven preheats. Preheat oven to 500°F. Place large rimmed baking sheet in oven and heat until very hot, about 10 minutes.

In large bowl, toss sweet potatoes, sage, and 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Using pot holders, remove hot baking sheet from oven and spread potatoes over it. Roast for about 8 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown. Toss apples with ½ tablespoon of oil to coat. Add apples to pan of roasted potatoes and continue to roast for about 10 minutes longer, or until potatoes are nicely caramelized and apples are tender.

Meanwhile, season pork with salt and pepper. Heat large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and then add chops. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and barely pink inside. Transfer to platter (reserving oil in skillet) and let stand for 5 minutes.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of oil from skillet, leaving brown bits in pan. Return pan to medium-low heat, add apple cider, and bring to simmer, scraping up brown bits with wooden spoon. Whisk in mustard and simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce liquid slightly. Remove from heat and whisk in butter to lightly thicken sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide apple/potato mixture among four dinner plates. Place pork chops alongside mixture on each plate. Drizzle with pan sauce and serve.

Per serving

Calories: 392
Total Fat: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Sodium: 569 mg
Carbohydrate: 39 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 25 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1.5 starch, 0.75 fruit, 2 fat

Cast-Iron Apple Cinnamon Crumble

(Makes 8 servings)

¾   cup plus  2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour, divided

¾   cup old-fashioned oats

½   cup granulated sugar

½   teaspoon fine sea salt,
divided

½   cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted
butter, cut into pieces

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1    teaspoon ground cinnamon

3    Gala or Braeburn apples,
cored and cut into ½-inch
wedges

3    Granny Smith apples, cored
and cut into ½-inch wedges

2    Golden Delicious apples,
cored and cut into ½-inch
wedges

Vanilla ice cream, for serving
(optional)

Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.

In chilled medium bowl, mix ¾ cup flour, oats, granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of salt to blend. Using your fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until moist clumps form. Freeze topping for about 10 minutes, or until firm.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk brown sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, cinnamon, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt together. Add apple wedges and toss to coat. Transfer apple filling to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, mounding it above skillet rim. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a 10-inch-diameter sauté pan or deep-dish pie dish. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over apple filling. Filling and topping will be domed in skillet, but will cook down throughout baking.

Place skillet on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil to catch any juices that bubble over. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let crumble cool for about 10 minutes. Spoon crumble into bowls and serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

Make Ahead: Crumble topping can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated or frozen up to 1 month. Baked crumble is best served warm, but will keep for up to 1 day, covered and at room temperature.

Per serving

Calories: 399
Total Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Sodium: 127 mg
Carbohydrate: 74 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 fruit, 2 fat

 

Add a little Mexican flair to your meal with Curtis Stone’s Baked Chimichangas with Cilantro-Lime Cream. Find the recipe at saturdayeveningpost.com/chimi.

Reprinted from What’s for Dinner? by Curtis Stone. Copyright © 2013 by Curtis Stone. Excerpted with permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This article is featured in the September/October 2024 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.