Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We were jolted awake at 2am by a screaming 8 yr old. She was so excited that Santa had arrived. She woke her older sister who pulled the covers over her head and told her to go to bed. But insanity prevailed and we rolled out of bed and opened the gifts. The most played with in my house are Magnetix and 20 Q. We then went back to sleep.

Pork Chops with beer, cabbage and apples

Made this the other day. Very easy and very tasty. I rounded it our with dinner rolls.


4 center-cut pork chops, about 1-1/2 inches thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 head Savoy cabbage (about 1 lb.), cored and thinly sliced
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
(see "How to core an apple")
1 cup beer or ale
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
1/2 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock

how to make

Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chops and cook on one side until well browned; turn and brown other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Put the onion in the pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 min. Stir in the mustard and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the cabbage and apples, season lightly with more salt, and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the beer, thyme, and stock. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 min. to intensify the flavors.

Return the chops to the skillet, burying them in the cabbage mixture. Cover the pan and simmer until the pork is just cooked through, about 15 min. Season to taste. Arrange the chops on plates and top with the cabbage.

from Fine Cooking #25, pp. 90