Pork Chops with Apples and Raisins, Danish style

One of my favorite meals growing up was my Mom's Pork Chops with Apples and Raisins.   I would inhale the pork chop, grateful for every drop of luscious apple gravy on it.   I still make this dish, and every time I make it, get transported back to the farm and the halcyon days of childhood.  OK, so I might exaggerate a little here, but really, it is one of my favorite dishes.    It's been awhile since I've made anything Danish so here goes.

You can use any kind of pork chop with this, for today I've got some slices of a pork loin, but this dish works very well with bone in chops as well.  And the long slow cooking tenderizes the pork very nicely. 

To start with, brown the amount of chops you need for your family in a little hot oil.

You don't need to cook them all the way through.

Place the chops into a greased oven safe dish, salt and pepper them

 sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of vinegar,

then cover them with some sliced apples and a handful of raisins, and the final item, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar.  Yup, brown sugar.

Cover and bake in a 325 deg. oven for half an hour,

then take the cover off and bake for another 45 minutes.  There will be some liquid left in the pan, which will be sweet.  This is great spooned over the chops when you serve this dish.   You can serve this with some lovely boiled red potato's, some green beans and maybe a nice grated carrot salad. 

I think I mentioned at the beginning that I like this dish, so bear with me for the following pictures.  

Now pardon me, I need to go and finish eating.

Here's the recipe:

4 Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup water
2 Apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup Raisins
2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.   Grease an oven proof pan and set aside while you core and slice the apples, set those aside.     Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet til shimmering, then add the pork chops to the skillet and brown quickly on each side, you don't need to cook them all the way.   After they've browned, place them in the oven proof pan and layer the apples on top.   Deglaze the pan with about a half cup of water and pour that over the apples.  Sprinkle evenly with the raisins, then sprinkle the whole dish with the  2 tablespoons of  Cider Vinegar, after which you sprinkle the Brown Sugar on top.  Cover and bake for half an hour, then remove the cover and continue to bake for another 45 minutes. 

Quick hint - If you're out of Brown Sugar, you can make your own by pouring a tablespoon of Molasses over a cup of white sugar, stirring it together, then sealing it in a container and setting aside for an hour for the sugar and molasses to meld together. 

 All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2018, with all rights reserved thereof.    Just released - Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods.  Available as both in book form and as an ebook.  
My cookbook Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes would be a great gift for any foodies in your life. Available as a Kindle e book or in paperback. Autographed copies are also available at the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn, Iowa or on their website.